Paul Weller
"Illumination"

Yep Roc

On the soul-rocker "A Bullet for Everyone," Weller notes that a bonfire burns in the city, the same once-promising place where, long ago, he had a thousand things to say to you. But this song -- lamenting the overabundance of weapons in a world where so many people lack basic necessities -- clearly shows that the erstwhile leader of seminal English mod-punk band the Jam still has a lot to talk about.

Abetted by such acolytes as Oasis' Noel Gallagher, the Stereophonics' Kelly Jones and Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock and Damon Minchella, Weller doesn't dwell on the negative, or the past. "Illumination" (due in stores Tuesday) does touch on the Jam's unbridled energy as well as the pop-jazz sophistication of his subsequent group, the Style Council, but it's more like his previous solo efforts, which wove disparate threads of funk, folk, blues and balladry.

His raspy vocals slip from raw to sweet, reflecting the collection's shifts among jangly pensiveness, rambling portraiture and upbeat romance. There are perhaps too many weedy, progressive-pop ballads (including "Who Brings Joy," the inevitable gag-worthy ode to his offspring), but the maudlin never takes over. Indeed, even on the sprawling call to action "Standing Out in the Universe," Weller doesn't merely mouth positive platitudes, but emphasizes that if we want real change, everybody has to work for it.
-- Natalie Nichols