PAOLO NUTINI – Sunny Side Up (Atlantic)

An essential CD purchase this year has to Paolo Nutini's ‘Sunnyside Up.' Following up the successful ‘These Streets,' Nutini has opted for a slightly different slant exploring a wider variety of styles. Track 1 ‘10/10' is ska influenced and has a touch of ‘Monkey Man' about it.

All the tracks (12) are short, sweet and to the point-nothing on the album drags on. ‘Pencil full of lead' is very upbeat, popular and frequently heard.

‘Sunnyside up' has featured prominently in the UK album top 10 chart for months now and rightly so. And I don't want to sound funny or anything but in my opinion it's the only thing in it that's any good.

Steve Billingham