[rating=8.00]
It’s been several decades since Paul Weller cast himself in the role of the brash young punk at the helm of the Jam, a band initially intent on recreating the signature sounds established by those that lined the trenches during the first English invasion. These days, he’s comfortable with the more stately standing that accompanied his crowning as the so-called “Modfather,” a title graced upon him for his devotion to the archetypical strains of classic British rock.
Even so, there’s always been a strain of soulfulness in Weller’s writing, through execution, elocution or both. It’s a kind of benign wisdom that aims for a higher purpose. That attempt is magnified on A Kind Revolution, a sprawling opus of an album borne out in a deluxe three-disc setting. Ambitious and overarched in both scope and suggestion, it offers the impression that Weller’s again attempting to make some sorta grand statement.
Opening track “Woo Se Mama” sets the tone, an unabashedly upbeat entry that’s quickly followed by “Nova,” another fast tempo track that helps maintain the momentum. But as is Weller’s MO, he shifts his stance after that, delving into a more soulful approach for much of the rest of the album songs such as “Long Long Road,” “The Cranes Are Back” and “Hopper.” With a diverse array of guests in tow, many of the old school variety (Boy George, Madeline Bell, PP Arnold, Robert Wyatt et. al.), he occasionally veers off course, but the constant that remains the same is Weller’s determination to create a certain sonic boom, one that keeps the sound upbeat and exhilarating throughout.
Granted, with a resume that’s shifted dramatically since the beginning — from rock to jazz to shades in between — Weller couldn’t be blamed if he chose to simply repeat himself with every turn. A Kind Revolution isn’t the revolutionary opus that its title claims to be, but it is a bold and boisterous nevertheless.
