(Atlantic/Warner Music)

Another young British crooner sounding much older than you’d expect

As if he felt constrained by the success of his first album in 2006, Paulo Nutini turns his appealing soul-man rasp in several directions at once on this follow-up album. And, to say the least, it can be quite confusing, maybe even a little schizoid, despite the fact that the appeal of his voice never wavers. If you were attracted to the old-fashioned polish of that first set, this wildly eclectic one may even shock. To drive the point home, the set opens with 10/10, a song steeped in an authentic ‘60s Jamaican rocksteady feel. Next up is Coming Up Easy which, with its more accessible soul mood sitting somewhere between Rod Stewart and Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall, will sound more familiar to people. But then the tangents come thick and fast - on Pencil Full Of Lead he’s a ‘30s flapper, on No Other Way he’s a ‘60s Motown soul-stirrer, Chamber Music he’s Cat Stevens, on the traditional folk of Worried Man he’s a world-weary troubadour, on Simple Things he’s an aging country crooner. And so it goes, one diversion after another. Kudos to Nutini for attempting to break the mould with this second album. Points too for the growing depth of his songwriting, his still evocative voice and a solid production by Ethan Johns. Too bad the album ends up sounding less than the sum of its often very good parts.      

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BILL HOLDSWORTH

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