I seem to own a lot of Paul Weller albums, without ever having been convinced by his solo work. I think a lot were bought by fans of The Jam, and subsequently moved out in numbers to charity shops and boot fairs on discovering how different they were.
The poor condition of this one suggests a 'boot fair for 50p' acquisition, I wasn't really expecting it to play, but it's fine. CDs eh? They're the future!
So, what of this debut album? It's not a Jam type rock album, and while it follows the path started by The Style Council, it's far more soulful, without the jazz hint Mick Talbot brought to that group. It's a really pleasant listen, but lacking in anything beyond the moment. It's simple to sit back and enjoy, but after three listens in as many days, not a single song has stuck or made any lasting impact. But songs that stand out include the funky, upbeat opener Uh Huh Oh Yeh and Clues with its electric guitar riff and flute accompaniment and middle section. In fact the second half of the album seems to offer a bit more, Absent Butterflies having a definite jazz-funk feel to it, and Kosmos being a decent conclusion, but do ignore the six minute silent gap to a pointless reprise.
I'm sure this album represents where Weller wanted to be at this time, and what he wanted to do. It's questionable how much of his fan base felt the same. nevertheless, it's an enjoyable, if unremarkable listen.
3* - a pleasant enough listen, but nothing really to take away.
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