Paolo Nutini is like buses. Two come along at once. What do I mean by this? Since 2019, Celtic Twitter has enquired about where he was (Lewis Capaldi revealed late last year that they were in the studio working on Paolo's new album, which I am currently reviewing). Then, three years later, "Last Night in the Bittersweet" announcements were revealed, and a tour was announced. I wondered where he was, but I surmised he was busy recording new material. Hence, he is like buses.
I have been a fan of Paolo's since his debut album, "These Streets". He was offering something different at the turn of the 2000s. No one appeared to make music like that, and it was only as we entered the 2010s that someone had a similar vocal style in Maverick Sabre. His debut was followed by "Sunny Side up" in 2009, where his fan base snowballed, which spawned the hits, 'Candy', 'Pencil Full of Lead' (Adopted by fellow Celtic fan and snooker player John Higgins up until 2020 as his walk-on song.), 'Coming up Easy', and the reggae-inspired '10/10'. My fondness for his music grew stronger after an appearance on Jools Holland's Hootenanny, where he performed '10/10' (among others.), and his falsetto vocals echoed those of the late Bob Marley.
Funnily enough, I thought it was a cover of a reggae song, but to my amazement, it was written by Paolo. However, it sounds like a typical timeless reggae track.
He followed up the highly successful "Sunny Side up" with 'Caustic Love' in 2014. Despite hitting the top spot, the album had mixed reviews and spawned fewer hits or accolades than its predecessor.
Amazingly, "Caustic Love" is the predecessor to "Last Night in the Bittersweet". He was still touring until 2018, but that is some gap to wait for the fans to hear new material. That's a gap of eight years. You can understand why his fellow Celtic fans were asking where he was. This record also makes that eight-year wait worthwhile. Paolo is back with the drum banging loudly. It shows his versatility in turning his hand to anything from ska, reggae, country, indie, RnB and soul. His vocals vary across the sixteen tracks, so you get more than just that deep falsetto.
For example, 'Through the Echoes' sounds like something you would have heard on his previous album, but 'Lose it' is a cross between Fontaines DC and the late Lou Reed. On quite a fair chunk of the album, many Lou Reed-esque songs are complete with spoken word, which Lou was known for.
I first heard Paolo's new song in the recent series of Later…with Jools Holland, but I, unfortunately, cannot remember when writing what songs they were. However, they sounded different from what I had heard him do—Lou Reed-esque and with plenty of attitude. Seeing him with an electric guitar over his shoulder was also refreshing.
The same goes for 'Acid Eyes', another song wedded to rock, sitting nicely with Paolo's vocals over bombastic drums. I look forward to seeing some rockier songs added to his setlist on the current tour.
I told many of my peers to listen when I heard the album because it isn't your typical Paolo record. This album has attitude, punk spirit and rock n roll lashings. Even fleeting moments resemble the sounds of the Stone Roses, so Paolo returned to his musical influences as a teenager.
It doesn't get much recognition because of his vocals, songwriting and mellow acoustic playing. Still, he is a good guitarist with the electric guitar and can match any lead guitarists who play to an excellent level (We are excluding the late Jimi Hendrix here), which is no more evident than on this record.
It has been worthwhile waiting for Paolo to release the successor to "Caustic Love". Sometimes, such a long wait leads to an anti-climax, but he has returned, and don't you know it? The songwriting, guitar solos, spoken word, vocals, topics, and instrumentation are fabulous. It is going to be extremely exciting to hear these songs performed live. I doff my cap to you, Paolo. It is an outstanding record, and if you produce the next one like this, you can release that in eight years, too.
Song recommendations: 'Lose it', 'Through the Echoes', 'Heart Filled up'
If you don’t know who Tom Jones is, I have yet to find out where you have been. The man is an absolute legend in the industry,and although that term gets saturated and loses its meaning, it is entirely true when it comes to the Welsh king of Pontypridd.
I not long ago finished his book this year, which I highly recommend for the fascinating insight you get on his life and how he went from a rat-infested apartment he was sharing with his original band in London to his very own mansion in Surrey after that hit, which wasn’t written for him was then put in his hands to bring to life. Tom went to Las Vegas and befriended the late Elvis Presley when he sold out days and nights doing the club and hotel circuit. However, with that came the barren years where Tom wouldn’t release new material and the rumour across the pond that he was dead due to lack of activity. It was when his manager Gordon Mills passed away, and his son Mark took over and revived his career. Mark had rescued his career from obscurity by scoring chart hits and working with several new artists. He performed on Jonathan Ross’s Channel 4 show, the Last Resort, in the 80s, which regenerated interest back home, and from there, he hasn’t looked back as his career has got even stronger than when he first came into the limelight.
He was even signed to the same label as Tupac Shakur in the mid-90s. How is that for a story? Tom regularly saw the Death Row entourage while he frequented Interscope. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out at Interscope. Still, Tom’s resurgence had begun, and from there, he went on to secure the legendary status his career was in danger of once coming close to losing altogether.
Now, let’s get to “Surrounded by Time”, an album full of covers and a few surprises. Staggeringly, this is Tom’s 40th studio album; when you consider the majority of the 1970s and 80s, he needed fresh material. It is different from your usual record of typical covers. Tom has even dared to show another side to his vocals by adopting spoken word, which I highly admired, and it made me see him in another light I haven’t witnessed since I first heard him many years ago (I honestly cannot remember where and when).
The songs on the record range from Todd Snider’s ‘Talking Reality Television Blues’, Malvina Reynold’s ‘No Hole in My Head’, and Bob Dylan’s ‘One More Cup of Coffee’. Rather than simply being a covers album, it reflects Tom’s life and getting around to the songs he wouldn’t attempt to do at a younger age. For instance, ‘I’m Growing Old’. When asked about performing it, he told Jools Holland he couldn’t have done it at 30 because the song wouldn’t have had meaning, so he planned to wait until his 70s to cover the song, albeit he didn’t until he hit 80. Tom said he was still determining if he would grow old with his lifestyle. But now, when he performs it, you can hear what he was driving at 30. The song is delivered more from the perspective of Tom being old.
‘Pop Star’, which is a Cat Stevens cover, has an electronic 80s vibe to it, ‘No Hole in My Head’ is a bouncy psychedelic rock number, ‘Talking Reality Television Blues’ (Which is my highlight) is brilliantly delivered by Tom through the medium of spoken word with a rock ambience. ‘I Won’t Lie’ is a beautiful acoustic folk song with strings and synths enveloping it, ‘Ol Mother Earth’ is another spoken word track over an ambient piano, and then ‘Lazarus Man’ to close out the record is a spoken word track with like a hybrid of 80s electronica (You know, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark-type stuff) with a psychedelic guitar of which you could imagine the late Jimi Hendrix closing his eyes and getting lost as his fingers work their magic on the fretboard and strings, like the Who meets Led Zeppelin.
I could have made this review an entire book on Tom’s life, but I would have been here probably this day next year before completion. Going back to ‘I’m Growing Old’, it, funnily enough, was released the year of his birth and makes it even more poignant to have it on his latest album. It is also an acknowledgement by Tom that he is nearing his mortality. Still, insteadof letting that reality suffocate him, he is ready to enjoy his remaining years with dignity. Who knows, he might surprise us all and live past 100. Until then, he will continue living his life, enjoying his career his family, and drinking anyone under the table who dares to challenge him.
Song recommendations: ‘Talking Reality Television Blues’, Lazarus Man’, ‘No Hole in My Head’
Honest Opinions 