Reviews der Dragonfly EP:
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Band: Paul Weller
Release: Dragonfly (EP)
Release Date: 17/12/12 Has anyone ever given Paul Weller one of those cheesy birthday cards with the age right on the front? The man is 54 years old but has released 3 albums and the new ‘Dragonfly EP’ in the last four years. These aren’t just your nostalgic cash-ins either. All 3 albums have pushed Weller’s sounds to new heights and the Dragonfly EP is much the same.
‘Dragonfly’ kicks us off with drums that sound like an 80’s power ballad over a psychedelic fantasy that evokes the spirit of John Lennon after several tabs of acid. Am I selling it to you? Well ‘Dragonfly’ is actually a great song with Weller’s spacey delivery, sparse but classic guitar solo-ing from one Graham Coxon and one of the highlights of Weller’s latest purple period masterpiece ‘Sonik Kicks’.
It’s probably worth mentioning that it’s best to look at the songs on this EP as abstract songs, while holding melodies the whole EP (and the album for that matter) are there to make a point in terms of sonic experimentation. With that we bring in ‘Lay Down Your Weary Burden’ which plays like a tradition Weller song. Sounding like a ’22 Dreams’ outtake, with added sonic buggery. If Beth Orton was male you’d probably be on the way to the sound achieved here.
‘Portal To The Past’ rocks pretty heavy for an oldie of Weller’s years, perhaps remastering ‘The Gift’ by his classic band The Jam has installed a new edge to his work. The song plays almost like a suite within a song. You’ve got the tame parts, heavy guitar sections, what sounds like a sitar and orchestration all adding up as the song goes along. On paper it may seem confusing but on record with Paul Weller’s expertise the song ends up sounding gorgeous.
‘Devotion’ in total honesty sounds just a tad, and I do mean a tad out of place on this EP. Cheesy lyrics for Wellers standards (although something X Factor contestants would strive for). It just seems a bit Weller by numbers.
‘We Got A Lot’ puts the EP back on track and plays very much on the fuzzy bass, light guitar asthetic of the EP. Sparse and spacious the tracks are given room to grow on you. While you might not get it straight from the off this will be a grower, welding itself to your heart.
‘The Piper’ sounds like a Northern Soul offcut put through the ‘Sonik Kicks’ filter, if you’ve never heard Weller do soul before this is probably the best introduction you could go for. What it’s missing however is the Ronnettes in the background doing their doo wap magic. If only.
In summary the Dragonfly EP, if not the definative article (see Sonik Kicks), definitely makes for a great listen. With 3000 copies only avaible on vinyl it’s best to say snap em up quick! Pick one up for Dad too if you wish. I’m sure he’d bloody well love you for it!
8/10
Reviewer: Martin-John McDonnell
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Paul Weller’s new EP Dragonfly is essentially a victory lap. Following his trilogy of experimental [COLOR=#009900][U]albums that concluded with Sonik Kicks earlier this year, the Modfather has bundled a number of unreleased songs from the sessions for that record into a limited run release that’s arrived just in time for Christmas. Available to download or on a pressing of just 3,000 vinyl copies Dragonfly is an interesting companion to its parent album, although it’s by no means essential for the casual fan.
While the [COLOR=#009900][U]title track is reflective of much of the Sonik Kicks material with its up-tempo swirling guitars and urgent drumbeat, the remaining 5 songs here are far more sedate. They bring to mind Weller’s earlier solo material, and reveal just how far he’s moved forward from acoustic compositions that provide the perfect soundtrack to a hazy summer afternoon. As these are songs that didn’t make the record itself, they also show just how selective Weller has been when compiling his recent albums.
Don’t be fooled though, these aren’t half finished cast offs or aborted ideas. Instead, they just don’t fit comfortably elsewhere. While there’s less emphasis on sonic experimentation, Weller has plenty of things to say in his lyrics. ‚Lay Down Your Weary Burden‘ sounds as if it’s a love letter to his more anger fuelled punk roots: „You may think your hate has us trembling in our shoes, but no-one really cares, it’s only you hurting you.“ That reflective mood continues on ‚Portal To The Past‘ when he says: „As I dive through the portal of my youth, for as quick as it comes, is as quick as it goes.“ In many ways these songs serve to bookend Weller’s recent albums. They seem to be signposting that he’s now ready to look forward rather than back, having reconciled the nostalgia demonstrated on recent tracks like ‚Fast Car/Slow Traffic‘.
That outlook seems to be cemented in perhaps the most [COLOR=#009900][U]upbeat song on the EP, ‚The Piper‘. The almost anthemic finale to this collection includes a funky bassline, pianos and backing singers along with the rather telling line: „Say sing, my brothers and sisters sing, tomorrow is yet unborn“. While there aren’t many clues here as to what Weller’s next musical re-invention will be, it seems pretty clear that he’s looking for a new challenge as he juggles [COLOR=#009900][U]music with his role as a new father. That unpredictability is one of the many reasons why Weller remains such an interesting artist.
The Dragonfly EP is therefore well worth your time if you have any interest in Weller’s more recent output. However, for the more casual listener, it may seem like it’s business as usual for the Modfather. The 5 additional songs certainly deserve to be heard, and it’s a welcome move that they haven’t just ended up on the cutting room floor.
7/10
Jim Pusey
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