There are two ways of looking at Paul Weller, one that holds him aloft as one of England's finest singer songwriters with a back catalogue to die for and one that believes he should have shut up shop years ago.

One thing is for sure, he as enough of an armoury to keep a crowd buzzing. Like one of the old masters Weller knows how to control a crowd. He plays on his own terms, educating an audience to his new works and now and again tosses them a treat from his momentous past. Tracks from the new album drift by and just as you think he is about to lose the plot he fires in with "Town Called Malice", "In the Crowd" or "That's Entertainment" and the crowd ignites.

He looks a little older and slightly weary but his heart is as large as ever and as I leave the venue I vow to go home and listen to his last few albums again. Maybe just maybe if I try hard enough they will effect me in the same way "All Mod Cons" or "Setting Sons" did in my dim and distant past………hhhhmmmm.

As for the songs from the new album "Illumination", although I have not had the same amount of time to grow to love these tracks Mr Weller obviously has and he presented his latest compositions with unsullied verve. Tracks that stood out and had me rushing home to re-listen to the album were "Going places", a "bullet for everyone", "who brings joy" and most recent single "It's written in the stars"

To Buy Paul Wellers new Album Click Here