Albums to watch

Sonik Kicks

Paul Weller

Sonik Kicks

Eleventh studio album from the former Jam and Style Council front man is a Krautrock-influenced affair

ADM rating[?]

7.0

Label
Island
UK Release date
19/03/2012
US Release date
27/03/2012
  1. 9.0 |   BBC

    Weller throws it all in on this record: experiment as far as he can take it, emotion as far as he will allow. To these ears it's a heady, and brilliant, combination
    Read Review

  2. 8.0 |   NME

    The sound of Weller growing old the only way he could - not particularly gracefully, but with no small amount of style. Print edition only
    Read Review

  3. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Combines the urgency of Wake Up The Nation with the boundary pushing of 22 Dreams
    Read Review

  4. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    All things considered, it’s hard to think of a bolder, braver or better Weller album
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    You have to marvel that a 53-year-old man can still make music so brimming with adventure
    Read Review

  6. 8.0 |   The Independent

    These are sonic kicks, first and foremost, and barely a track passes by without an acid-fried aural equivalent of a mushroomed sunset, with swathes of backwards guitars, whining synths and sundry effects
    Read Review

  7. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Sonik Kicks is Weller's bring-it-all-back-home album
    Read Review

  8. 8.0 |   Q

    Weller is in the midst of a supersonic prime. Print edition only

  9. 8.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Now he's rediscovered his creative spark, it's a shame he hasn't rekindled his political radicalism. Maybe next time. For now, this amounts to his most enjoyable LP since Our Favourite Shop
    Read Review

  10. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    A stunner
    Read Review

  11. 8.0 |   Scotland on Sunday

    This is a proper grown up record of which he is rightly proud, light years from punk rock but cut from the same cloth
    Read Review

  12. 8.0 |   Daily Telegraph

    Sonically speaking, Weller seriously kicks it
    Read Review

  13. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    A fascinating album which shows that Weller has the nous and skill to evolve and
    Read Review

  14. 7.0 |   DIY

    He’s a musician in the same way that he was in 1976. He wants to make albums, and he wants to make good ones. Which is exactly what he’s done
    Read Review

  15. 7.0 |   Entertainment.ie

    Weller and Simon Dine, his producer, have served up an album which proves that Weller is still very much a relevant artist and long may this career renaissance continue
    Read Review

  16. 7.0 |   Blurt

    Weller gives his listeners yet another impressive jolt
    Read Review

  17. 7.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Weller might be more reliable and consistent back on the old Stanley Road – but he’s a heck of a lot more fun right here, right now
    Read Review

  18. 7.0 |   FasterLouder

    If one thing can be taken from the record, it is that Weller is certainly not out of ideas, and it is highly unlikely that Sonik Kicks will be a swansong
    Read Review

  19. 6.7 |   A.V. Club

    Weller’s silk-and-smoke voice sounds as good as ever, and his status as a soulful, folky, yet forceful songsmith remains ironclad. Next time around, though, an extra round of editing might not hurt
    Read Review

  20. 6.7 |   Paste Magazine

    While the innovation is rewarding, the album’s scattershot approach limits its effectiveness
    Read Review

  21. 6.5 |   Pitchfork

    As admirable as it is that Weller is still playing with his formula and searching for something new to do with it, the electronics here do the songs few favors
    Read Review

  22. 6.0 |   The Scotsman

    Sonik Kicks completes a neat trilogy with Wake Up The Nation and its consciously eclectic, sprawling predecessor 22 Dreams. This album is considerably shorter but still pulsing with interesting sounds
    Read Review

  23. 6.0 |   The Observer

    There are pop songs, such as "That Dangerous Age", a glam reading of a Kinks tune, and songs that faintly recall David Bowie or even Damon Albarn
    Read Review

  24. 6.0 |   musicOMH

    Throughout Sonik Kicks, it somehow feels as if the Krautrock vibe is a needless intrusion, an unnecessary welding and meshing of styles. Because when Weller drops the appendages, he is still an artist of depth and soul
    Read Review

  25. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Weller is in serious danger of giving 'dadrock' a good name. Print edition only

  26. 6.0 |   God Is In The TV

    On repeated plays this neon-lit shock of space-fueled dad-rock does get better. But it’s still far too conventional
    Read Review

  27. 5.0 |   Spin

    Britpop Modfather swaps retromania for contemporary eclecticism, overwrought production, under-cooked tunes
    Read Review

  28. 4.0 |   State

    In another era, Weller might have seen recession and riots and urged “shout to the top”. On Sonik Kicks however, showing his age and priorities, the Modfather croons a lullaby with his daughter
    Read Review

  29. 4.0 |   The Irish Times

    It aims to be all things to all people, but far too often falls miserably short of the target
    Read Review


blog comments powered by Disqus

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Preview & download it

Paul Weller: Sonik Kicks

  • Download full album for just £7.99
  • 1. Green £0.99
  • 2. The Attic £0.99
  • 3. Kling I Klang £0.99
  • 4. Sleep Of The Serene £0.99
  • 5. By The Waters £0.99
  • 6. That Dangerous Age £0.99
  • 7. Study In Blue £0.99
  • 8. Dragonfly £0.99
  • 9. When Your Garden's Overgrown £0.99
  • 10. Around The Lake £0.99
  • 11. Twilight £0.99
  • 12. Drifters £0.99
  • 13. Paperchase £0.99
  • 14. Be Happy Children £0.99
  • Service provided by 7Digital

Latest Reviews

More reviews