Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Rock | Heft: Jahrgang 2012, eclipsed Nr. 139 / 4-2012 | VÖ-Jahr: 2012 | Wertung: 7/10 | Label: Island | Autor: UR
Like hardly any other rock pioneer, Paul Weller knows how to combine self-reference with bold reinvention. This sounded particularly experimental on the album "22 Dreams" from 2008. On "Sonik Kicks", Weller remains true to his course as a sound player: the lead singer "Green", for example, stands for this with his electronic pulse and the obscure "Spoken Word" text stream flying in from foreign spheres. "Kling I Klang" later carries his Krautrock homage in the song title - with a reference to the Düsseldorf Kraftwerk studio. But "Sonik Kicks" clearly goes beyond a neokraut style exercise. With all his enthusiasm for spacerock effects, wah-wah or psychedelic coloured organ parts, Weller emphasises his core discipline: guitar accentuated songs with concise melodies that reflect his own incarnations, whether The Jam or The Style Council. "Study In Blue" finally takes up the timelessly relaxed ballad compartment. The soulful love song with wife Hannah as the second voice is one of the strongest moments of an album that skilfully combines two Weller characteristics: pushing player nature and calm self-assurance.
Top Track: Study in Blue
