Saturns Pattern marks the return of The Jam’s Paul Weller, absent from the music scene since the 2012 release Sonik Kick. He’s back better than ever (if you can overlook the hopefully purposeful absence of the apostrophe in the title). Saturns Pattern is an uplifting mix of dabbles of electro-pop and the rock ‘n’ roll Weller is known for, and certainly an aficionado in. Futuristic vibes prevail throughout, adhering to the title of the record, and proving that Weller – though his fame with The Jam was primarily in the 70s and 80s – is nowhere near out of date when it comes to the modern music scene. Here is an album worthy of status in 2015.
‘White Sky’ begins proceedings with an eerie, mysterious introduction before launching into Weller’s rampant guitar playing and distorted vocals. It’s hard not to relate this track, and indeed many others on the album with the space-age themes of Pink Floyd, especially when Syd Barrett (who left the band early in their career) was still a member, when the band were at the height of finding their unique sound. The distorted vocals of Weller continue throughout the song as well as amidst a tentative and precise guitar solo. It gives an excellent introduction to the album as a whole and simply, as represented with its release as a single, it’s too much of a catchy tune to be looked over.
The album’s namesake ‘Saturns Pattern’, is seemingly different to the opening track. This song focuses on an upbeat piano riff more than guitar, and Weller’s vocals are clear as day. However, the futuristic vibes are still very much there, with various sound effects dotted around the chanting lyrics. ‘Saturns Pattern’ draws to an epic conclusion worthy of naming the album after, as if it could end the entire record there and then. It certainly makes you feel as though you’re floating through space, and I can only imagine it would have this impact at an even higher level when played live. It’s a great addition to the record so early on.
The album chugs along with piano ballad ‘Going My Way’, and we see Weller stripped back from effects as we hear his raw vocals unmasked, slightly hoarse and full of the emotion echoed through the song as he asks “are you going my way?” It’s genuine and true to Weller’s real talent, which doesn’t need to be hidden by anything fancy. This gentle ‘lovey-dovey’ theme isn’t stuck to however, as next up is the short, sharp punch in the face of ‘Long Time’ with guest guitarist Josh McClorey of The Strypes fame. Due to its placement on the tracklist it draws complete contrast to its predecessor, making the effect of the tune even more of a surprise. The guitar is back in full swing thanks to McClorey and the return of space-like effects comes back with vengeance. The song acts as a call and response as the lyrics repeat “for such a long time”, followed by a different line each time “I couldn’t find no peace”, and with its 2.12 runtime it’s over quicker than Weller and McClorey’s fingers across a fretboard.
‘Pick It Up’ sees all eyes and ears back on Weller’s guitar, as a melodic riff plays a big part throughout, not to mention a stunning guitar solo, the first significant one of the album thus far. It’s a relaxed, dreamy vocal that you can’t help but sway to, contrasting with the previous ‘Long Time’ which wouldn’t surprise many if it induced a bit of head-banging. Weller has managed to fill a record with many ups and downs without making it sound like each track doesn’t belong alongside one another. A tricky thing to get right, but the songs flow from one to another in a seamless fashion that it is impossible not to get hooked on. Weller has certainly provided a bit of something for everyone’s taste, no doubt a clever ploy which aided the number 2 debut on the UK album chart. It’s an all-rounder.
Two similarly relaxed tracks follow with ‘I’m Where I Should Be’ and ‘Phoenix’ and it’s not difficult to imagine them as additions to a chilled out unplugged set, or maybe a low-key festival (but based on the impending success of the album, low-key is not going to be an option for Weller). Nevertheless, they work perfectly as a calming dip in the record, and Weller’s vocals have never sounded better than in ‘I’m Where I Should Be’. He certainly hasn’t lost his talent over his many years in the business. ‘Phoenix’ is one of the longer songs, passing five minutes, and it’s obvious how much work was put into this one; well-crafted with hints of a mysterious female vocal, and a delightful cocktail of instruments and sounds. This also has a dreamy quality to it, and the image of bobbing on a cloud that certain moments of the track creates, totally contrasts with the fiery connotations of the title. More and more Weller is portrayed as the king of juxtapositions as the album progresses.
‘In The Car…’ is the first focus of the album onto acoustic guitar. Yet this is somewhat overshadowed, as whirring sounds and distortion yet again make an appearance over any possible flickers of acoustic additions, before Weller moves comfortably back to electric for a descending outro. It’s arguably a weaker component on the album, as the mix of sounds seems slightly all over the place. ‘These City Streets’ is abundant with nostalgia from Weller, as it is seemingly apparent that he’s talking of past experiences and definitely a past love interest “I’m in love with you”. It’s a softer side to Weller we don’t often get a glimpse of, so when it does come to the surface, you can see how genuine his words are as he looks back “oh these city streets”. It’s a blast from Weller’s past hidden within such a modern sounding track – there he goes with those contrasts again.
Bonus tracks ‘(I’m A) Roadrunner’ and ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ could easily be part of the original tracklisting. ‘(I’m A) Roadrunner’ is wonderfully upbeat and packs the same punch as other fast-paced songs seen previously in Saturns Pattern. It’s extremely soulful and backing vocals which call back “roadrunner baby” after Weller, give the track an almost gospel-like feel. This exploration of genres continues with ‘Dusk Till Dawn’, which for me is not far from a country ballad, immensely reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel. Acoustic guitar is at the forefront as well as what sounds like hints of an accordion and the beat appears to be nothing more than the tapping of a wooden box. Weller demonstrates how versatile he can truly be with these bonus tracks and this can only be applauded profusely – for it seems he is capable of anything.
There are many highly anticipated albums being released of late, and it would be criminal for this triumph to be overlooked for bands with more overall publicity. Saturns Pattern is a musical journey through space and time, with the required ups and downs to truly make it so. If you are a fan of Pink Floyd or any other sort of futuristic exploration through fantastic music experimentation, this is the album for you.
Words by Hannah Campbell