While some of us have spent the last fifteen or so months sat on our backsides stuffing our faces not so Paul Weller, the King of Mod who, in “Fat Pop”, put out his second album of the last year. The follow-up to 2020’s “On Sunset”, offering and also his fifth album in five years, “Fat Pop” contains a bunch of ideas gathered over the last twelve months before being turned into, unsurprisingly, a varied plate of musical treats.
Kicking of with “Cosmic Fringes”, a cocktail of snyth bleeps and beats, Weller’s sixteenth album is one that will certainly keep the listener on their toes. Of course you could argue that given the writing approach taken for this record, the end result rather than flowing from start to finish, feels more like a collection of individual songs recorded and stuck together. Not that this is a bad thing because, as a collection of individual ideas, there are some great moments peppered throughout this album. The title track has a lazy drawl to it, while “Shades Of Blue” which was co-written and features Weller’s daughter Leah, takes the album down a mod route familiar with fans of Weller’s extensive musical catalogue. “Cobweb Connections” sees the album and Weller take a more gentler stroll while “Failed” a couple of tracks further down the album is a bit more upbeat and energetic.
“Fat Pop (Vol 1)” is a mixed bag that finds Weller throwing out whatever was inspiring him at the time. Offerings like “True”, which see Weller collaborate with Lia Metcalfe, vocalist with Liverpudlian outfit The Mysterines, are fun slices of classic pop and, while the end result might seem a little disjointed at times, is certainly a fun insight into what it is that has been keeping Paul Weller occupied during the last twelves months and is still a worthy addition to his bulky discography.
The album is out now and for the latest news on tour dates see www.paulweller.com
