Housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve this is a treat for those of us who like to spin the black circle.
The cover art has a vintage 1970s style and energy featuring Nutini in the studio. It’s to suggest that the vinyl experience feels significant to this double-album collection of songs which suggests an artist who has been living life around the world, breaking bread with strangers and moving on to the next part of the trip.
Recent single Through The Echoes was a blessing on the airwaves with its George Harrison guitar licks, gentle piano balladry and Nutini’s soulful delivery. The songs provide a Kerouac-style On The Road story that gives us an insight into the 35-year-old’s life and what he’s been up to since disappearing. Radio quickly proves he’s lost none of his talents for writing catchy soulful songs closer to an early 1970s style than the popular music of the day.
Acid Eyes is a driving romantic road ballad that segues beautifully into Stranded Words which offers a moment of respite where we enter into a sacred space before the rock explosion of Lose It. The latter track recently captured attention when he performed it with some gusto during the Liam Gallagher support at Knebworth channelling something of Robert Plant in late 1960s pomp. Everywhere has a Rod Stewart-flavoured Scottish stomp about it and much like Stewart, Nutini has Scotland in his bones which permeates his music and vocal style.
Over the 16 tracks and 72 minutes, there are many contrasting sounds such as the ambient Heart Filled Up. Desperation with its spiky guitar riffs and driving bass fully absorbs the spirit of post-punk and new wave. The piano-led Julianne is a Paul McCartney-style ballad that finds the singer reflecting on yet another female muse while Take Me Take Mine continues the gentle late-night feel of the record’s fourth side. While Nutini has been absent from the limelight for eight years, he has continued writing during that time to deliver the best album of his career so far. Nutini will perform at the 02 Academy, formerly the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh on October 31st.
Paulo Nutini Last Night At The Bittersweet
