On Sunset proves that although Paul Weller is more than 40 years into his musical career, he sounds as fresh and inspired as ever.
With enough melodies to appease the feather-cut-dads fanbase, and enough experimentation to slake his own curveball tastes, this is have-your-cake-and-eat-it Weller.
It might not be quite the experimental opus you feel Weller’s still holding back, but that feels a churlish complaint when the songs are this well-written.
The ever-changing sound exists largely on the surface, not the songs themselves, as they're sturdy, winning tunes that find Weller in an appealing troubadour mode. What's different about On Sunset is that expansive hybrid of electronic and R&B, a fusion colored by just enough experimentation and craft to make the album feel fresh and distinctly belonging to Weller.
Paul Weller is one of the few legends from the 70s that has constantly been making music of quality and from one project to another has evolved his sound. His legacy having helped pioneer British Punk as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of The Jam, vanguard of Sophisti-Pop in the 80s as The Style Council and since the 90s performed under his own name. Across these 3 projects, he has released 25 albums of which 15 have gone Gold, or better, in sales in the UK. He has regularly worked ... read more
Although I never had on my mind the picture of Paul Weller reaching his sunset, I must confess, when I finally came across reality, I was surprised to watch him handling this unpleasant situation with dignity.