Paolo Nutini’s ‘These Streets’ Album Review

Paolo Nutini is obscurely known for his bluesy, folk, pop rock sound, which the few followers of his in the U.S., admire and love entirely. Although the name sounds of Italian descent, Paolo is the son of two Scotland natives and resides in Paisley, Scotland. Nutini was born January 9, 1987. It is usually hard to detect accents among English speaking artists, but Nutini is quite different. His Scottish brogue can be easily heard when listening to his soulful singing. His first album, ‘These Streets’, perfectly portrays his wonderfully unique sound. Influences from southern blues, folk, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll are easily identified when listening to the lyrical, vocal, and instrumental sounds of ‘These Streets’.

The entire album in draw together by a common theme; love. Whether the song is about lost love, found love, almost love, or eternal love, each song has its own personal expression of love and its overwhelming effects. The album opens with an upbeat song about teenage love, which grabs the reader’s attention with its rhythmic progression and catchy melody. Many of the songs throughout the album are mellow and sentimental, provoking the listener to feel deeply and wholeheartedly. Almost all of these songs are acoustic, but the more upbeat melodies are full of horns and drums. Some of the songs have very similar bases, but others are entirely different and unique. Each song, whether upbeat or mellow, is incredibly soulful and full of immense feeling. I have yet to come across a British singer with quite as much soul and blues injected within their music. Some of the songs in the album reminisce an early Al Green, although perhaps accompanied with a heavy Scottish accent. I have a feeling that many of these songs were intended to be played specifically during intense moments of love and feeling, and possibly even, during baby making. Personally, my two favorite songs on the album are ‘Last Request’ and ‘Alloway Grove’. ‘Last Request’ is a slower song full of passionate emotion and longing, while ‘Alloway Grove’ is an upbeat, catchy melody, which instantly upon playing, provokes a steady tapping of the foot. Paolo Nutini is a promising new talent that I hope to see more from in the future. The collaboration of soul and rock create a unique sound which is wonderfully pleasing to the ears.