Paolo Nutini - "Last Night In The Bittersweet" (2022)

Paolo Nutini is a favourite of mine from my adolescent years, with his work cumulating in the dramatic and grandiose Caustic Love in 2014. That record is still one that I spin regularly, having a timeless energy to it, eschewing the acoustic pop and folk of his first two records for a fuller and more rich combination of blue-eyed soul and bluesy indie rock. After touring for the album finished, Nutini largely dropped off the map for the following eight years, re-emerging with this, his fourth record. The album very much follows on from Caustic Love, incorporating a large full band sound with dramatic and detailed production. The influences at play in that album have further coalesced into a sound reminiscent of 70s soft rock - think Rumours era Fleetwood Mac. What results is a long and quite patient album that goes at its own pace. There are some of the more 'rocking' moments on here, but its quite clear that Paolo is more interested in being an earnest songwriter than a captivating showman on here.

All is evident from the 4 minute intro track, Afterneath, a slow build up of rumbling guitars and bass with Paolo's distant wails in the background. It's not the catchy and punchy single that his album's have previously opened up with. It then leads into Radio, a very relaxed and soulful soft rock tune where Paolo laments the disingenuousness of pop music and that "he wants love" and something he can truly relate to. I really like the song, but its one that quietly wraps around you and is content that it doesn't actually have to try all that hard. Again it's a song for Paolo himself, not the radios it is titled after. Following this is two of the singles, both very earnest singer/songwriter tracks, both equally beautiful and soothing. The first of these is Through The Echoes, where Nutini details a connection he has with someone that transcends their differences. Similarly, Acid Eyes yearns for the past and regrets mistakes made and feels like Paolo coming to terms with these regrets. It's sweet and honest and great. 

The next track is then a spoken word interlude, which means that Lose It, the sixth track and 20 minutes into the record is the first time it really breaks lose into a more up-tempo and momentum driven mode. Lose It is akin to some of the longer more blues rock influenced songs on Caustic Love, with its driving fuzzed out guitars and Paolo sounding gruffer and more gritty. The song is about letting go and just enjoying yourself - its great to just sing along to and forget the world. It builds and builds, introducing backing soul vocals and extra guitars and keyboards as it progresses to the climax. The other linear barnburner on the album, comes much later in the tracklist, being Shine A light, a song that sounds more influenced by heartland rock than the blues of Lose It. Equally great, it reaches outwards, trying to counter the loneliness and isolation you can feel at times.

In between these two songs, the album then returns to its unpressured meanders into lowkey and earnest songs. Everywhere has a vintage soul flavour to its swaying grove and electric organs, and classic bluesy guitar solo. Abigale is a simple folk tune reminiscent of Paolo's 2nd album, Sunny Side Up. The twangy guitars, bass work and melodies of Children Of The Stars is the most Fleetwood Mac-y the album gets, you can just imagine Christine McVie or Stevie Nicks crooning on it instead of Nutini. Heart Filled up is initially similarly stripped back as Abigale, before layering more electric instruments in. Like Afterneath, it feels like more like a building interlude than a fully fledged song.

After Shine A light is another crop of songs that close out the record. and while they're generally of the same quality as the rest of the record, the sequencing makes them feel kind of unnecessary as by this point the record has hit the length of the majority of pop releases and the song feels very much like it could be a finale to the record. Out of the remaining songs, my favourites are the last two songs, Take Me Take Mine, and Writer. Take Me Take Mine is a soothing soul tune where Paolo bares his heart and proclaims that he will always be there to sooth over all of the insecurities and worries the subject of the song has. The track ebbs and flows with washes of reverby guitar and piano. Writer is a cute little acoustic song that sort of breaks the fourth wall as the closer, as Paolo directly addresses us, the audience, about his role as a songwriter and the relationship between the two.

Perhaps the weakest songs on the record are actually the ones closest to being radio friendly. Petrified In Love and Desperation are jaunty indie tunes that stick out like a soar thumb amongst the passionate soul and bluesy soft rock of the rest of the record, and just feel a bit odd coming from Paolo at this age. They sound like songs written by a twenty-something, not someone in their mid thirties. They could've easily been cut, along with a couple of the other songs here to make the record tighter and more impactful. Give it a re-sequence to help with the pacing and it perhaps would've enjoyed it more than I currently do. However, the quality of the record is still consistent, so the fact that it's a bit long also doesn't impact it too much. Paolo is a great songwriter and these are good songs so I'm glad to have him back after the long hiatus.

 

Top Tracks: Radio, Through The Echoes, Acid Eyes, Lose It, Everywhere, Shine A Light, Take Me Take Mine, Writer

7/10

Wolf Alice - "Blue Lullaby" (2022)

 

I have once again been distracted by my finishing up my degree over the past couple of months, so I thought it would be nice to get back into the swing of things with a quick one. This is Blue Lullaby, an EP of acoustic versions from Wolf Alice's 2021 album Blue Weekend. That album has been in constant rotation for me since it came out and features a massive, cinematic sound with layers upon layers of effects and overdubs, so it makes sense for these songs to gain a different light in a more stripped back setting.

While still technically all acoustic versions, stripped back is sort of a miss-label of the EP, as there is still tons of reverb and choral backing vocals in the mix here. However, the change in instrumentation does really change the vibe of these songs, in most cases offering them up as equally good (and justified) as the original album versions. That's a testament to the songwriting, that they still stand up in a different context. Lipstick on the Glass comes off far more moody and brooding in this context, and the pure heart and earnestness of How Can I Make It OK? still shines through - even though it sounds more reflective than the blast of endorphins provided by the bombastic original.

I think I actually prefer the twangy guitars of Feeling Myself to the album version. It feels a whole lot more personal than the cinematic, sweeping synths and fits the themes of self love way more. The Last Man On Earth, likewise feels closer and more intimate, which certainly works with the introspective lyrics. Its an equally good alternative to the building layers of drama in the original. The only track which doesn't make the transition so brilliantly is No Hard Feelings. The track is already the most stripped back on the album being an acoustic cut, so the guitar is swapped out for a soft keyboard tone. This change in instrument doesn't really change the song up all that much so it ends up having pretty much the same vibe as the original.

Blue Lullaby really shows Wolf Alice's talent by throwing these songs in a different context and they still stand toe to toe with the originals. It's a really great EP, check it out.

Top Tracks: Lipstick on the Glass, How Can I Make It OK?, Feeling Myself, The Last Man On Earth

8/10

Coldplay - "Parachutes" (2000)

Coldplay's debut record, Parachutes, turns 20 today (well the day I started writing this), and is an album dear to my heart despite the general consensus that it is fairly derivative of the likes of Radiohead and U2 and not even the most 'definitive' Coldplay record. There's just something I find so entrancing by the tone and atmosphere of the record, and the songwriting on here is top notch even if it is entirely straightforward and conventional.

Parachutes is one of those records that seems to work in almost any context for me. It's moody and emotional, yet its also joyous and hopeful. Its gentle and deep, but also light and summery. It works equally well on long summer evening as a cold, damp winter night. I can put it on to relax to, be uplifted by, or contemplate with. Each of the ten tracks have a darkness to them, yet they all are spun in such a way that there's always a point of hope in them. It's so incredibly cathartic and versatile. I also find the straightforwardness of the record one of its biggest strengths, maintaining this moody yet warm acoustic rock throughout with only a slight ebb and flow of more energetic electric moments. It is also a trim 41 minutes with absolutely no filler.

The record opens with the incredibly moody and existential Don't Panic. The track is just over 2 minutes and features pretty apocalyptic lyrics which I have always took to be about climate change, but like the majority of Chris Martin's lyrics (especially in the early days of Coldplay) they are general but emotive enough that they don't have to be. It gives Don't Panic, and the rest of the songs on Parachutes, so much more strength than some of the other emotional soft rock bands from the 2000's. The track, also like a lot on here, spins itself on its head in the last verse; in this case Martin sings about how everybody has someone to lean on and we can make it through together.

Following this is Shiver, which is my favourite Coldplay song across their entire discography. The track starts off very reserved and gentle, before exploding into the first chorus. Martin's lyrics about an unrequited love are so apologetically earnest yet pure and wholesome. There's no tragic angst or self loathing like in something like Radiohead's Creep, and the way the electric guitar wails at the end alongside Martin's howls that he will wait for this person, and wait for them to notice him, just really hits the mark for me. It's just one of those songs.

It is also as about as heavy as the album gets, after this point settling back into the acoustic groove with the electric guitars only really used sparingly for texture more than melody. Spies is just as paranoid as Don't Panic, although it is a more drawn out song which allows you to fall into its eery nature. It also flips itself over and picks its self up towards the end. Sparks is such a gentle piano led track, where Martin refers to 'seeing sparks' as a real special connection with the person this song is written about. He addresses past mistakes that have hurt this person, and how he wants to make things better because of how special this connection is. I remember putting it on a few years ago, as it was snowing at night outside my window. It has that warm gentle atmosphere.

There are two other piano led songs on the record, Trouble, and the closer, Everything's Not Lost. Trouble is perhaps the most downtrodden song on the record, as it lacks the positive spin that the rest of the tracks have in their closing moments. The simple piano riff sets the darker tone as Martin alludes to being caught in traps and spider's webs that he can't get out of, and that he didn't mean to cause anyone else trouble. Apparently the song is just an apology to the rest of the band about his sometimes controlling nature in the studio, but it feels much darker and more serious than that. It anchors the album in a way, showing that sometimes you can't just say "things will get better" to every problem you face. Everything's Not Lost is the opposite, and sets the blueprint for the big optimistic climax moment in most future Coldplay albums. Unlike some of those future efforts it remains very sweet and genuine with the focus remaining on Martin's vocals and the uplifting piano notes. None of the overblown production and multi-tracked choral vocals that make something like Up&Up feel pretty tacky. There is a hidden song titled Life Is For Living at the end of Everything's Not Lost and it is a nice little ditty which feels like an appropriate coda for the track and the record as a whole.

In between Trouble and Everything's Not Lost, the record becomes its most mellow and malaise like. The Title track is 45 seconds of acoustic summery bliss, and High Speed feels like speeding along in a convertible on a hot summers day. The distant atmospheric swells of electric guitar gives the song a more driving pace, despite the song being one of the most carefree on the record. This is followed p by We Never Change, a super slow and reserved song where Martin details his desire for a simple life living with his friends, free of life's troubles, but acknowledges that some things will never change, and there will always be new challenges to face.

The only song I have yet to mention is the band's breakout, global smash single, Yellow. That's because you've definitely already heard it 1000 times. Yes it is overplayed, and yes if you think about the lyrics too much it starts to feel like nonsense. But you can really feel the emotion in Martin's voice and can't help but be moved by it, and it feels far more genuine and less calculated than some of the band's future emotional singalong anthems.

Parachutes is just one of those records for me. I acknowledge that it doesn't do anything all that interesting or unique from the grand objective view of the history of rock, and that the band's follow up, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, has a more unique identity. However every single moment on the album just works for me, I can enjoy every single second of it when I'm in a variety of moods.

Top Tracks: Don't Panic, Shiver, Spies, Sparks, Yellow, Trouble, Parachutes, High Speed, We Never Change, Everything's Not Lost

10/10