Paul Weller celebrates his 66th birthday with stylish fury on his latest album, 66. Aptly titled and another solid collection of tracks from The Modfather, this latest album settles well after the wonderful solidity of Fat Pop. But for caffeinated journalists stressing over an Evri order it takes all too long to piece together those birthday celebrations and the title of this Weller piece. Still, the connection is made, and the brain begins firing on all cylinders just in time. Weller has a classy attitude for this latest album, recorded at his Black Barn studios and moving away from reflecting on anything from his past – even the most recent records. Instead, he cuts a new, creative groove for the future and counters the implications of titling an album after your recent birthday. What did Weller learn from his past? Nothing at all. It is what keeps his music a fresh, spirited thrill.
Soft and subtle is the new aim of Weller. His opening track, Ship of Fools serves as a steady opener. The real excitement and joy are found in the follow-up song Flying Fish, a tech-obsessed zoom through the instrumental exposure Weller is enjoying. A loud, drum-machine-laden piece of whirring highs and sci-fi flutters. He has brought on the light load of neo-psychedelia and engaged with it as honestly as can be. It gives 66 a certain edge to its album tracks which keep Weller at the top of his game. Most of these early moments are more a spotlight for furiously good instrumentals than anything particular from Weller as a vocal presence. Jumble Queen tries but is drowned out by the successive brass and percussion fixations, which serve as a wonderful addition to the deeper tones of 66. It is an album which hopes to hold the alternative rock core of Weller but also lean into a smoother, lounge-like jazz with Nothin’, which may indicate the next steps of his career.
Weller flirts with just about any genre he can. Predominantly the baroque style but his shift to fixating on his voice – particularly on My Best Friend’s Coat – is a divine and stunning introduction to the depths of his skill as a vocalist. Reliant on string sections to give those added depths is a gamble and it pays off with style for Weller. His introductions of such moments feel genuine and wrap around a wonderful, floating experience. Rise Up Singing sounds frankly triumphant and gives Weller a spot of youthful intensity not quite heard from him in some time. There are pockets of truth and beauty within this Weller release. I Woke Up is an outstanding track which takes its place as the best of 66. The likes of In Full Flight remain charmed by the same sultry tones and classy vocal stylings of traditional pop of the late 1950s, though with obvious extra layers.
Exceptional collaborative efforts with those artists cut from the same cloth, Richard Hawley and Noel Gallagher to name but a few appearances on this release, give 66 an extra, booming depth. Music you can soundtrack your sunny days to, but more than that an intricate assessment of Weller as a contemporary musician who knows time is not on his side. What he does have, however, is an arsenal of trusted support and instrumental essentials which boom and give out this glorious new sense of purpose for The Jam alumni. A classy affair, with Peter Blake artwork and brushes of historic jazz collections found within an album which feels thoroughly new for Weller. But he has tried his hand with experimentation time and again. 66 is one of his best works to date, for its beauty and its risk-taking – which pays off every listen.
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