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Although it shares superficial sonic similarities with his other records, 22 Dreams is really unlike any of Weller's other albums, as it's rich in sound and feeling, possessing a shimmering dreamy quality. It's an album to get lost in.
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Paul Weller's all over the place with his ninth solo album--he visits all his touchstones, but there's less nostalgia and more experimentation infused into the tracks than usual. And that's a good thing.
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Weller can seem like a dilettante, selling himself as Roy Harper one minute and Marvin Gaye the next. But that's easily forgiven. At least the Mod-father isn't resting on his laurels.
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Ultimately, 22 Dreams is, simply put, Weller's best album since "Stanley Road", and one to be remembered for years to come.
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FilterWeller unveils an indulgent 21-track, hit-or-miss collection that has a scope, ambition and jazzy undercurrent which suggests Pete Townshend slumming in Vegas. [Summer 2008, p.98]
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There are plenty of worthwhile moments, such as the banging soul romp of the title track, but Weller surrounds them with exhausting filler cuts and showboating genre change-ups.
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MojoThere are great albums that are nose-to-tail singles, but 22 Dreams is not one of them. Settle in for the duration, however, and expect a genuine trip. [June 2008, p.104]
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Well sharp.
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Such an eclectic, ambitious record might be expected to sound disparate, desperate even, but instead it's a set of distinctive, strangely addictive songs.
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His first album in three years, the likable 22 Dreams, offers a handy overview of Weller’s interests.
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This stands pretty much alone in Weller's catalog in terms of sheer eclecticism and unpredictable, dream-like flow.
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Apart from being the most eclectic and resourcefully imaginative solo album of Weller’s career, 22 Dreams also turns out to be one of his most consistent efforts.
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Q MagazineThe gamble has paid off in a sometimes challenging but constantly rewarding musical odyssey. [July 2008, p.96]
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Craft can be a cage, and come the eleventeenth pleasant chord progression and workmanlike melody, the album's title may portend the listener's immediate future.
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There's a sense of fun and wonder to 22 Dreams that keeps it from feeling pretentious--just not any less tedious.
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22 Dreams is a triumph of the most unexpected kind.
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Subtract [a couple of stinkers] and you have something of a minor masterpiece--and easily Weller’s finest solo album to date.
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22 Dreams, Weller's ninth solo effort, is complete bollocks.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 16
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Mixed: 0 out of 16
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Negative: 1 out of 16
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Nov 14, 2020
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Sep 26, 2013
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IanR.Jan 10, 2009The best Weller ever for sure. Imaginative, elegant, timeless.