Considering that the album boasts over 68 minutes of new material that spans over two discs, there is plenty of room for it too. His ninth solo album (not couting live discs), 22 Dreams, manages to simultaneously capture glimpses of Weller’s stylistic past while introducing a batch of newly attempted styles to the mix. From the fused elements of soul and British folk on 1993’s classic Wild Wood to the lively nostalgic rock sound of 2005’s As Is Now, Weller has made it a fun ride so far. Such impressive sales aside, the most impressive aspect of his discography has been the stylistic diversity he has implemented in every release. Since the Style Council disbanded in 1989, Weller has released eight solo albums that have all peaked in the UK Top 10. Weller distanced himself from the Jam’s style in 1983 upon the formation of the Style Council, a four-piece whose roots rested more in key-led blends of soul and pop music. The Jam emerged in the late ’70s with a new breed of punk, R&B, and power pop that would be later deemed “mod revival”, with the trio being one of the forefront innovators of the genre. After all, anyone with even the slightest understanding of the Modfather’s illustrious discography as both a solo artist and frontman of the Jam and the Style Council would already recognize him as being one of the most successfully eclectic songwriters to come out of England in the past several decades he simply has nothing left to prove. Upon reflection of Paul Weller’s respectable career, it makes little sense why he would feel any incentive to release a sprawling album like 22 Dreams, the lengthiest and arguably most stylistically diverse album of his 30-plus-year span as a songwriter.

Paul weller songs