Paul Weller - Wild Blue Yonder

After years of obscuring his gilded past in a fug of overwrought sludge, Wild Blue Yonder is another sign that Paul Weller is now grasping back to his most productive era for inspiration. All Revolver feedback and punkish stomp, the single – one of several stand-alone non-album releases the Modfather plans to unleash over the next year (yet another nod to the Jam glory days) – gallops along at an exhilirating pace, much like other recent highlights Come On/Let's Go and From the Floorboards Up. It may be low on the lyrical insight that marked Weller classics such as Strange Town and My Ever Changing Moods out from the crowd but there's a verve here that is hard to dislike. While there remains little hope of Weller ever rediscovering the form of his fledging years as Britain's favourite Modish punk-rock soulboy – the guy is 48 f'chrissakes – this rollicking tune is welcome evidence that the Bard of Woking doesn't intend to bore his way into his dotage. [Duncan Forgan]