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Product Description
Review
Thirty years ago, Paul Weller was number one. The Jam's A Town Called Malice spent three weeks at the top of the charts, its Motown bassline bustling, its finger clicks rustling. Watch its video now, and the 23-year-old at the middle of it has hardly changed in some ways. His Woking vowels are still 'ow's-yer-father; the haircut's still cockatoo-daft. But he sings a line in its first verse that's practically become his motto: "Stop apologising for the things you've never done, because time is short and life is cruel, and it's up to us to change."
Weller has never been a man to look back at his career, in anger or otherwise; time ain't been short for him either, but it seems to have inspired him rather than smothered him. Sonik Kicks, his 11th solo album, is alive with the vitality that implies. Nevertheless, so rapturous has been the reception to his recent LPs – 2008's 22 Dreams and 2010's Mercury Prize-nominated Wake Up the Nation – that's it's almost become a cliché to flag up his return-to-form as something thrillingly adventurous, even avant-garde. But this isn't skronky, dissonant (The) Wire (magazine) music: this is psychedelic, kaleidoscopic pop. It just happens to be made by a man always interested in filtering the past in his own way – and most 53-year-olds don't do that as peculiarly as this.
Sonik Kicks fizzes and spits from its first track, Green, blasting off with a synthesiser that recalls the motorik rhythms of Neu!, as well as the drone that starts The Human League's Love Action. Then we whirl into a world of vocal echoes, garbled lyrics about secret guides and quiet times, and stereo whooshes through the headphones: it's really hard not to be energised. Dragonfly and Around the Lake are similarly propulsive and sci-fi, driven by drumbeats and Joe Meek-friendly sound effects. Then we get into the weirder, instrumental stuff. Sleep of the Serene is like a 1960s B movie curio, full of electronic burbles and strings that get progressively strange. Twilight is 18 seconds of metallic clatter and messing about with sine waves, before Drifters arrives with a shadowy Silver Apples bassline, chunky guitars, and Weller "finding his way back home" as a mysterious voice calls "him on". It's still pop, Paul, but it's not as we know it.
More than anyone, these space-age stylings make you think of David Bowie, of whom Weller's new wife is a huge fan – so much so, she's famously named one of their new twin boys after him. But there are more solid, classic Weller tracks too. That Dangerous Age is particularly funny, a brilliantly self-aware piece of pop about a middle-aged man: "He likes three sugars in his coffee / He wants that chick in the office / He's took to staying up late / He's on a much higher rate." Kling I Klang is slightly less successful, a funny piece of oompah about salty days and vicars’ wives, while When Your Garden's Overgrown could have come from Weller's mid-90s Modfather era. Its chorus, however, still packs a real punch: from A Town Called Malice to here, the man still has an ear for a tune.
The most moving moments, though, are the two big ballads: stunning pastoral epic By the Waters and the mainstream-friendly finale, Be Happy Children. This features Weller's daughter Leah on a chorus, infant son Mac at its end, even a lyric that he's acknowledged as a nod towards his late father ("your daddy's gone, but only for a while"). Weller throws it all in on this record: experiment as far as he can take it, emotion as far as he will allow. To these ears it's a heady, and brilliant, combination.
--Jude Rogers
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
Sonik Kicks is the follow up to the Mercury Music Award nominated Wake Up the Nation and Paul Weller’s eleventh solo album. The album includes the track "Around The Lake" and features appearances from the likes of Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
my copy of this album turned up thismorning in the post.
i've listened to it around about 10 times
& this is really growing on me more & more,
to where i just had to come back to amazon
& see what others think ...
i love Paul's experimental ways.
we have all his 90's albums,
& if you don't wanna move with the man,
well you have all the old stuff to listen to.
Personally i love all his work & am excited
when i read of a new album in the making.
What's Paul gonna do next ??
He has suprised me at times but has never,
NEVER let me down ... i love this album,
& i also don't mind the cover.
Can't wait to watch the dvd.
Thanx Paul for ALL your music.
i've listened to it around about 10 times
& this is really growing on me more & more,
to where i just had to come back to amazon
& see what others think ...
i love Paul's experimental ways.
we have all his 90's albums,
& if you don't wanna move with the man,
well you have all the old stuff to listen to.
Personally i love all his work & am excited
when i read of a new album in the making.
What's Paul gonna do next ??
He has suprised me at times but has never,
NEVER let me down ... i love this album,
& i also don't mind the cover.
Can't wait to watch the dvd.
Thanx Paul for ALL your music.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Sonik Kicks has a real edge to it, more than any Weller album that I can recall for sometime. The guitar riffs are rasping out a psychedelic 60's hypnotic fusion with crisp clear vocals cutting through in perfect melodic harmony. Has the feel of a concept album, but one that is well thought out and works on delivery (over worked on a few occasions; hence the 4 stars). The man just keeps on reinventing that wheel - turn it up loud and enjoy!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
yet another brilliant album from the mod father .never ceases to surprise you ,gets better with age .well worth a listen would recommend ,f.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
worst Weller album ever
cant agree with the other reviews here im afraid...
ive been a huge Paul Weller fan since around 1980 and this is by far the worst album of his long career... Read more
ive been a huge Paul Weller fan since around 1980 and this is by far the worst album of his long career... Read more
Published 6 days ago by lloyd boon
Like a fine wine!!
Another release and another fine collective of Wellers brilliant compositions,he has never let me down in the whole time ive been following him which is since 1978 x
Published 25 days ago by chuckie
modfather
Not a classic Weller by a long shot,its ok but did not get me excited as previous Weller albums but Sonik Kicks and 22 Dreams just did not do it for me.
Published 27 days ago by kermo
Weller's back!
As a massive Weller fan there was no doubt i was going to buy this anyway but after "Wake up the Nation" which was not my most favourite i was a bit apprehensive about his new... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bluelugs
What is going wrong???
When I think back to how important Paul Weller has been to me troughout my entire life I struggle to understand his output over the past decade. Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. Sitton
Sonik Kicks
Ordered this album for my Husband's birthday. I was very pleased with the delivery service, and was also refunded £1 as the album had been reduced since I ordered it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sylvia
Paul Weller returns
Its been a while, but he has come back. Bit different from other albums and takes a bit of getting used to. There are some good tracks whilst others are mediocre.
Published 1 month ago by C. Watson
Sonik Kicks
Another great Paul Weller album. A little different to previous albums but shows Weller is still developing new ideas and breaking new boundaries.
Published 1 month ago by Macey_Mace
The Modfather strikes again
Being the uber mod he proves his originality and quality. Mr.Weller reinvents himself again...never fails. With my £1 amazon voucher only cost me 4.99. Absolute Bargain.10/10
Published 1 month ago by HUGHESY9
Craig Groves
Mr. Weller has always been able to put out some of the best music that this century has had the privilege of hearing. The Jam. were tops... Thank you Paul...
Published 1 month ago by Maryann Groves
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