Weller Paul: A kind revolution 2017

2017, marks the 40th anniversary of Paul Weller"'s first album, ""In The City"", which he released with The Jam in May 1977. For most artists such a landmark would be greeted with extensive retrospective celebrations: lavish reissues and all that jazz. But Paul Weller is not like most artists, instead releasing a new studio album, because releasing new albums is what Paul Weller does. Always moving forwards, almost clinically averse to nostalgia or checking his progress in the rear-view mirror. ""A Kind Revolution"" features ten absolute classic modern Paul Weller songs. By ""modern Paul Weller songs"" we mean, instantly recognisable but in no way predictable. He doesn"'t make a ""kind of"" album, he fits together all his influences - rock, R&B, soul, jazz, funk, folk.whatever - and builds a song from them, delivering something that drifts through genres unselfconsciously and at ease. Two great examples of this are two of the most reflective, contemplative songs, ""Long Long Road"" and ""Hopper"", which in lesser hands might have been delivered as ballads, but Weller adds so much texture and colour to each that they defy categorisation. With great age comes great wisdom.