Paul Weller is in no doubt about the quality of his 12th album, describing it as “one of the best things I’ve done” and a pleasure to make.
Picking up where 2012’s adventurous Sonik Kicks left off, Saturns Pattern opens with White Sky’s swirl of sounds – jazz cymbals, orchestration looped backwards and a riff that refuses to remain within a single FX pedal. By the time the gospel chorus arrives, you realise Weller is not sitting comfortable in his dotage – rather, he’s thriving on experimentation, from the rolling piano lines of Going My Way to the fuzz-riffs and handclaps of Long Time. Thankfully, such sonic tricks never come at the expense of melody, or the chance for Weller and his band to let loose.
Have a listen using the player below, and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
