Paulo Nutini, ‘Sunny Side Up’
By Tanita Sidhu
Monday 28th September 2009
Hailing from a household of music enthusiasts who continually pumped an eclectic mix of music through their half-Italian, half-Scottish speakers, it is hardly surprising that Paolo Nutini has crafted such a refreshingly diverse record as ‘Sunny Side Up’. Following the 2006 release of his pristine pop debut ‘These Streets’, Nutini was critically condemned to the ever-growing list of unadventurous, apathetic mainstream singer-songwriters. Nutini himself admits that his first album was somewhat naïve and ‘whiny’, but thankfully ‘Sunny Side Up’ is the design of a mature, self-assured and daring musician. Far from the brooding tone of his first album, Nutini’s follow-up opens joyfully with the ska-infused gem ‘10/10’ in which he declares that he has ‘so much here to offer’, which he certainly does. Nutini quickly transports us from the sunny shores of Jamaica, to the muddy banks of the Mississippi River and the slow, lilting beats of Memphis blues in ‘Coming Up Easy’. At soulful moments like these Nutini harks back to legendary 60s artists like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. He then kicks it up a notch and flings us wholeheartedly into the swift, jaunty world of 50s swing with ‘Pencil Full of Lead’. Wonderfully though, even amidst this wild concoction of contrasting musical genres, Nutini does not totally abandon the folksy sounds of his homeland Scotland, or the influences of his father’s Italian roots. He introduces the accordion, celeste and mandolin to the hopeful ‘Growing Up Beside You’; and takes inspiration from the likes of Glaswegian singer John Martyn for his melancholy tale of the ‘Worried Man’. Undoubtedly some industry pedants will oppose Nutini’s bold mishmash of musical styles, but I salute him for smashing the boundaries and producing the spirited ‘in your face’ record he set out to create. Welcome to the ‘Sunny Side’ of music.
Monday 28th September 2009
Hailing from a household of music enthusiasts who continually pumped an eclectic mix of music through their half-Italian, half-Scottish speakers, it is hardly surprising that Paolo Nutini has crafted such a refreshingly diverse record as ‘Sunny Side Up’. Following the 2006 release of his pristine pop debut ‘These Streets’, Nutini was critically condemned to the ever-growing list of unadventurous, apathetic mainstream singer-songwriters. Nutini himself admits that his first album was somewhat naïve and ‘whiny’, but thankfully ‘Sunny Side Up’ is the design of a mature, self-assured and daring musician. Far from the brooding tone of his first album, Nutini’s follow-up opens joyfully with the ska-infused gem ‘10/10’ in which he declares that he has ‘so much here to offer’, which he certainly does. Nutini quickly transports us from the sunny shores of Jamaica, to the muddy banks of the Mississippi River and the slow, lilting beats of Memphis blues in ‘Coming Up Easy’. At soulful moments like these Nutini harks back to legendary 60s artists like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. He then kicks it up a notch and flings us wholeheartedly into the swift, jaunty world of 50s swing with ‘Pencil Full of Lead’. Wonderfully though, even amidst this wild concoction of contrasting musical genres, Nutini does not totally abandon the folksy sounds of his homeland Scotland, or the influences of his father’s Italian roots. He introduces the accordion, celeste and mandolin to the hopeful ‘Growing Up Beside You’; and takes inspiration from the likes of Glaswegian singer John Martyn for his melancholy tale of the ‘Worried Man’. Undoubtedly some industry pedants will oppose Nutini’s bold mishmash of musical styles, but I salute him for smashing the boundaries and producing the spirited ‘in your face’ record he set out to create. Welcome to the ‘Sunny Side’ of music.