It’s been a long eight years since the soulful Paolo Nutini released the wonderful “Caustic Love” and a lot has changed in that time. Back in 2014 it felt like a real statement piece; something that showcased a new maturity and it felt as though he was going to conquer the airwaves and headline festivals for the next couple of years. However after touring he went somewhere off the radar for the best part of a decade; frustratingly so after what was his arguably at the time his most powerful and personal work to date.
Then in May this year he announced his long awaited comeback after all of this time along with a brand new critically acclaimed album, “Last Night In The Bittersweet”. He kicks things off tonight with the opening track off that record “Afterneath”, which has the perfect build up with the drums and wailing guitar. All this makes way for Paolo howling out to the sold out crowd, sounding like Robert Plant in his prime. Resembling the look of Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson, it’s even stranger to think that the series wasn’t even a thing the last time Paolo played in Cardiff. From the off there feels like so much passion, yet it’s so controlled and makes for a thrilling opening.
This then flows into “Lose It” and it’s rare to see anybody who can hit such a wide range of notes so effortlessly, particularly live. Throughout the entire set there isn’t a single key out of tune and as an audience are just swept up in the swell, is particularly evident on both “Better Man” and “Acid Eyes”. Things get a little quieter with an almost acapella version of “Stranded Words and a beautiful” acoustic version of “Coming Up Easy”. It’s the start of a theme tonight where these songs aren’t going to be exactly as they are on record; instead they are giving either a new breathe of life, sometimes even crossing into a new genre.
For example, “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” is mashed up with both “New Shoes” and “Teenage Kicks” into a pumping rock anthem which feels far and away different from the indie darling it was back in 2006 and is in my opinion all the better for it. “Pencil Full Of Lead” is hardly recognisable at first with a slowed down keyboard tone leading proceedings rather than the brass section on record. Instead the song is dragged out and just builds and builds. If possible it’s actually even more joyful in this iteration than its original version. “Let Me Down Easy” later on in the set sounds as though it’s been remixed by Hot Chip and could easily be heard on the dancefloor. What’s evident is that as he’s getting older, his sound is maturing and evolving away from that early pop/indie sound into whatever he wants.
It’s not all experimental though with the likes of “Cherry Blossom”, a particular highlight on his third record sounding every bit as good as it does on it. The new material with the likes of “Radio” and “Petrified In Love” are already embraced just as warmly as the songs that came before it. However the biggest sing along of the night actually comes with his comeback single “Through The Echoes” and in the words of the title, the sound of 7,500 voices echo off of the four walls of the arena. It feels an incredibly powerful moment and one that has the hairs standing up on your arms.
It does feel as though everything tonight is building up to a particular moment and the chants from the very loud Friday night Welsh crowd confirm it. That comes in the form of “Iron Sky” sounds even more epic than it has done previously. It’s always felt as though it’s the Bond theme that never was and tonight there is an extra layer added as the guitar rings out, highlighting its haunting nature even more so. For as great as Paolo’s voice has performance has been throughout the evening, the same can also be said for the band who play for the full two hours with as much gusto and energy as they had done from the off.
The first time listening to the latest record and hearing the song “Shine A Light”, it just felt as though it would be the absolute perfect set closer and it certainly is tonight. There’s something about the song that fills you full of life and to be fair the whole set has done that in a way. Even towards the end things are mixed up a bit with a dance beat that builds to the songs climax. It’s a fitting end to a night that’s been filled with passion and emotion and you wouldn’t expect anything else from the proud Scotsman. From the evidence of tonight, he could really take a direction down any path sonically and it would be pulled off with ease. However I don’t think that we’d be able to wait another 8 years for it!
