The Modfather himself, Paul Weller, has today announced a new studio album, which he wrote during lockdown
Fat Pop (Volume 1), the 16th solo album by the iconic former leader of The Jam and The Style Council, will be released on May 14 on Polydor Records.
That’s less than 12 months after his previous record, On Sunset, which gave him the fifth chart-topper of his solo career, and showed that despite the fact he’s 62, Weller is in the middle of an unbelievably prolific purple patch.
In spring 2020, after his tour dates were postponed, Weller needed something to focus on. With many new song ideas stored on his phone, he started to record them on his own, with just vocals, piano and guitar. He sent the recordings to his core band members (drummer Ben Gordelier, guitarist Steve Cradock and bassist Andy Crofts) to add their parts.
Despite it being strange not being together, it kept the wheels rolling and sanity prevailing. When restrictions were lifted, the band reconvened at Weller’s Black Barn studio in Surrey to finish the work, with the shape of the album becoming clear to all.
Fat Pop – with “Volume 1” added to keep options open for a second part – is a diverse selection of sounds, with no one style dominating. There’s the synth-heavy, future-wave strut of Cosmic Fringes, the stately balladeering of Still Glides The Stream (a co-write with Cradock), the chunky, percussive groove of the Iggy Pop tribute Moving Canvas, and the kind of dramatic pop symphonies on Failed, True and Shades Of Blue with which Weller has hooked generations of fans.
Several guests contribute, including Lia Metcalfe, the young Liverpudlian singer with The Mysterines, who combines her tremendous vocal as well as a song writing credit to True. Andy Fairweather Low adds his distinctive vocals to Testify, while Weller’s daughter Leah co-wrote and features on the classic three-minute kitchen-sink-pop drama Shades Of Blue, which will be the first single taken from the album. Last but not least, Hannah Peel is back, adding her classic string scores to Cobweb Connections and Still Glides The Stream.
Fat Pop (Volume 1) comes in several different CD, cassette and vinyl formats, as well as deluxe 3CD and 3LP box sets. For more information visit Paul Weller’s webstore HERE.
