With Sunny Side Up, Paolo Nutini managed to distance himself from a seemingly endless line of guitar-wearing male solo acts. With clear reggae influences and cover art that, like the music, brandished the colours of the Caribbean; this was an album soaked in sunshine and designed for festival crowds. Now five years later, and following a split from his childhood sweetheart, Paolo returns with Caustic Love which, to give it its own colour chart, is blues and greys, steel and glass, funk and soul.
Lead single Scream (Funk My Life Up) gave a hint of the direction, with blasts of brass, and a pleasantly-repetitive groove lending themselves to his effortless vocal. But as owners of his previous albums will be aware, no matter how upbeat the singles are, Nutini’s album cuts are often more laid back affairs. One Day, Numpty and Diana are all pleasant, but fail to capture the immediate attention demanded by the electricity of Scream, or the track that follows, Let Me Down Easy. With a deep bass groove and an R&B flavour similar to Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black, Let Me Down Easy is a highlight, particularly for the line, “If every fool wore a crown I’d be a king and not a clown”.
The successful soul songs continue with Better Man (which builds from a stark, acoustic introduction to an organ and choir-featuring climax) and Fashion; made up of a classic Rolling Stones structure and featuring Janelle Monae. Iron Sky is the epic moment though, when Caustic Love becomes cosmic, sending Nutini’s third release out of the stratosphere. From a crooning introduction the song transforms into a dramatic, almost operatic number, sampling lines from Charlie Chaplin’s film The Great Dictator: ‘Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men.’
Although it sometimes feels that Nutini hasn’t completely mastered the art of filtering through all of the filler, or organising the perfect track list, Cosmic Love showcases an artist who is diverse and unafraid of experimentation. It might not all work live, but he’s slowly building a setlist that’s engaging and consistent, while his voice (perhaps a fine blend of young Rod Stewart and Bono?) wasn’t ever questionable. It’s not quite Otis Redding or James Brown, but it’s a gritty take on soul, and it’s not half bad.
Caustic Love is out now.
Words by:
Dan Bull
Follow @DanBull7609
