Paul Weller is in reflective mood on his 17th album. Could it be an age thing? Featuring some of his most touching songs in some time, 66 is so titled as the Modfather hits that very age a day after release. Old chums Suggs, Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie help him celebrate with lyrical contributions, there are guest spots from Richard Hawley, actor Max Beesley and Blow Monkeys’ mainman Dr Robert and the artwork comes courtesy of Peter Blake, who created the colourful collage for Stanley Road.
Although the vibe is generally mellow, the sounds are diverse. Weller is not an artist to stand still or cleave to the same old same old. Fans of his rockier tunes may be disappointed but there are riches here for those who like to bathe in his love of pastoral psychedelia. He wastes no time in firing up the flute and vibraphone for Ship of Fools but then fast forwards a decade for a surprising dash of elegant disco. Flying Fish glides around the dancefloor until its unexpected bluesy coda.
Jumble Queen is a chunkier rhythm’n’blues cut, with a liberated brass break and gospel backing vocals, while recent single Rise Up Singing is an uplifting symphonic soul spree. He taps into Hawley’s brand of urban yearning on the slowburning A Glimpse of You and delivers his softest vocal performance on the spiritual jazz funk track Nothin’, garlanded with shimmering percussion, the delicate touch of electric piano, mute trumpet and mellow bass, all beautifully calibrated.
There’s not a duff track to be skipped on his sumptuous collection, which blisses out with Burn Out, a Pink Floydian languorous coda with luxurious saxophone. This erstwhile angry young man is growing old gracefully, and it sounds exquisite.
