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Yet another feather in the
"Modfather's" cap

Paul Weller - Sonik Kicks
(Yep Roc Records)
4 stars (out of 5 stars)
Reviewed: March 9, 2012
Paul Weller

Review by Andy Argyrakis

As former lead singer of The Jam, Paul Weller is amongst the most seminal figures in early punk's history, though he was quick to reclaim that magic in soulful new wave realms via The Style Council. Yet perhaps most consistent is his solo career, which just hit the 20th anniversary mark, but shows no signs of slowing down thanks to a prolific streak that's boasted six complete collections over the last decade alone.

On the new Sonik Kicks (Yep Roc Records), Weller once again earns his keep as the one and only "Modfather," who's influence spans everyone from Oasis and Blur to Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Kasabian on down. Even though he's a veteran at this stage of the game, the singer/songwriter/guitarist could easily hold court alongside any of those Brit pop/indie rock acts thanks to this full-throttled collection of sophisticated rock n' soul.

The spiking energy of "Drifters" could very well be a second cousin of his initial act, "Study In Blue" swings like The Style Council and the lush acoustic popper "By the Waters" is easily amongst one of his most sophisticated reflections to date. Nonetheless, Weller never sounds stale or recycled, interjecting unexpected tidbits of art pop, folk, psychedelia and dub scattered throughout the disc, while sounding nothing short of superb next to protege guests like Oasis' Noel Gallagher and Blur's Graham Coxon.

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