Paolo Nutini has released his new album Last Night In The Bittersweet with new single “Radio” following in tandem with it’s release on Friday 1st of July. On first impressions it feels like a far more ambient and spacious record from Paolo’s previous offering Caustic Love. Still direct in it’s intention, it carries a great deal of heart in its reverberant surroundings mainly due to Paolo’s brilliantly dynamic and emotive vocal. Ever the magician with his impressive range, he effortlessly flips between several octaves throughout the album and utilises his deeper register more so than on previous releases, delivering several spoken word moments that deepen the intimacy of songs like “Afterneath”, “Stranded Words (Interlude)”, and “Lose It“.

Judging by the Official Charts midweeks, Nutini is set to claim his third UK number 1 album with Last Night In The Bittersweet, currently outselling his nearest rival 4:1. A recent article by the company explains “The 35-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter’s fourth studio album marks his first release in eight years and tracks to score him a hat-trick of Number 1 albums. Paolo has previously topped the Official Albums Chart with 2009’s Sunny Side Up and 2014’s record Caustic Love“.

I was lucky enough to get a preview of the new album back in May when Paolo played a run of 4 shows at London’s iconic 100 Club. It was hot ticket in town, selling out in seconds and crashing the server it was provided on, so when I say I was lucky to be there I really mean it. Aside from the maddening chatter that went on amongst the audience throughout anything that wasn’t “Iron Sky” or “Candy”, the gig was great and a real moment for me as a long time Paolo fan getting to see him in a room of only 350 people. Surprisingly he seemed incredibly happy and grateful to be back on stage, I always took him for a crippling introvert due to his complete disregard for social media and a public life, but here he seemed at home.

Bounding on stage with a grown out mop of hair and cheshire cat grin on his face, everything about his set screamed “I don’t give a f***”, tearing into songs like “Lose It” with the free abandon you’d expect from a singer that hasn’t released any music in 8 long years. The album flowed much then like it does through my speakers now, but for some reason it feels more powerful as I tune in today, perhaps sobriety is my ally, but today the richness and maturity of the record is really shining through. Classically old in its sound, from “Petrified In Love” onwards it’s almost hypnotic, fully pulling you into Nutini’s mind and experiences. The final song, “Writer“, plays everything out and is my personal highlight, in the last 20 minutes I’ve gone from never hearing it before to playing it nearly 10 times, from being fairly flat to almost being in tears. It’s a truly special song.

I’d say overall Last Night In The Bittersweet is a record that will likely benefit from multiple listens, but on the first alone I can already appreciate it as a stellar addition to Paolo’s legacy. Up the scots.