Paolo Nutini reviewed
Paolo Nutini
These Streets
(Atlantic)
A fourth-generation Scot with a Portugeuse/Italian name, singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini’s music couldn’t possibly sound less international.
The intention of These Streets seems to be to put Nutini’s voice at the fore and worry about the arrangements later, if at all. The vocals do prove rather intoxicating, at times a stealthy concoction of Al Green, Tracy Chapman, and the haziness of Jack Johnson. When he really takes hold, as he does on the ivory-accompanied “Autumn” and the second suite (possibly a hidden track) of “Alloway Grove,” the grip of his Italian heritage takes hold and the grease in his stomach from his father’s chip shop evaporates. But nearly everywhere else, *These Streets are extremely easy to navigate paradoxically because they all look the same. “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” sounds like hard soul being shoved down Rick Springfield’s throat, while the entire first half of the album falls into a sleepy groove. “New Shoes” threatens to break the monotony, but is so, well, white, you’ll not prefer it to slumber.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to watch the video for “Rewind.”
