Paolo Nutini - Musician

Paolo Nutini (born January 9, 1987) is a Scottish singer/songwriter from Paisley, Scotland.

He is Italian decent on his father side from Berga, Tuscany and Glaswegian from his mother.

His influences includes David Bowie, Damien Rice, Oasis, The Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.

Nutini was signed under Arista Records after his 18th birthday. His debut album with a track with the same "These Shoes" was released in May 2006 immediately entered the UK charts at #3. Many songs from the album includes "Last Request", "Rewind" and "Jenny don't be too hasty".

He will be releasing a new album around November 2009.

• He is hip, young and vibrant.

• He plays real good music.

• He's blessed with a soulful, passionate voice and the natural gift of being able to tell a story in a song.

Slow down, Lie down,

Remember it's just you and me.

Don't sell out, bow out,

Remember how this used to be.

I just want you closer,

Is that alright?

Baby let's get closer tonight

Last Request Lyrics

Picking up the pieces

Of the wreck you went and left

And I'm dealing with dilemmas

In my now so stressful life

And I'm drinking stronger spirits

I made my home here on the floor

And I'm losing all ambition and goals

I'm going all out

I'm thinking you're just as bad

Rewind Lyrics

Paolo Giovanni Nutini was born and raised in Paisley, Scotland to an Italian descent father and his Glaswegian mother, although his father's family have been in Scotland for four generations.

He was taught singing by Avril McCusker for three and half years, but was expecting to follow his father into the family fish and chip shop business. He was first encouraged to sing by his music-loving grandfather, Jackie, and a teacher at his school who recognised his talent. He left school to work as a roadie and to sell t-shirts for Speedway and spent three years learning the music business, performing live, alone and with Dome and Dick from the Dongues, whom he mentions as great influences on his later career, especially Dick's singing, and working as a studio hand at Glasgow's Park Lane Studio.

Nutini had no formal music training, and was expecting to follow his father into the family fish and chip shop business. He was first encouraged to sing by his music-loving grandfather and a teacher at his school who recognized his talent. He left school to work as a roadie and to sell t-shirts for Speedway and spent three years learning the music business, performing live, alone and with a band, and working as a studio hand at Glasgow's Park Lane Studio.

His big chance came when he attended a concert for David Sneddon's return to his home town of Paisley at the beginning of 2003. Sneddon was delayed, and as the winner of an impromptu pop quiz, Nutini was given the chance to perform a couple of songs on stage during the wait. The favorable reaction of the crowd impressed another member of the audience, who offered to become his manager.

A Daily Record journalist, John Dingwall, saw him performing at the Queen Margaret Union, and invited him to appear live on Radio Scotland. Still only 17, he moved to London, and performed regularly at the Bedford pub in Balham whilst still legally too young to drink alcohol himself. Other radio and live appearances followed, including two live acoustic spots on Radio London, The Hard Rock Cafe, and support slots for Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall.

Information Coutesy of Last.fm

UK release date: 17 July 2006

On the list: good looks (not in a drug addled rock 'n' roll kind of way), strong regional accent (preferably from anywhere in the British Isles outside England); young; repertoire of catchy, radio-friendly songs about common themes (love, loss etc.) and, if possible, able to hold their own with an instrument of choice (two ticks for acoustic guitar and piano).

You should have by now spotted a theme. Nearly all of the mainstream bound artists, whom half-Scottish, half-Italian Paolo Nutini is joining whether he likes it or not, have these 'qualities'. More importantly, they make a shed load of cash for major labels, desperate to find the next James Blunt and infiltrate every suburban CD player in the country.

Shameless typecasting? Perhaps. But it doesn't take a musical genius to work out that while the next Elliott Smith (and if you go to enough open mic nights you'd think there were hundreds of them) might be lurking somewhere in a toilet venue, with virtually no exposure because they aren't photogenic, get wrecked and sing about it surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke and empty bottles.

So where does this leave young Paolo? To begin with, These Streets is a safe, reliable and for want of a better word, bankable, album. At no point does Nutini approach arrangements, subject matter or delivery in a way that hasn't been done a million times before and several times better. There are upbeat acoustic pop-rockets (opener Jenny Don't Be Hasty), heartfelt ballads (Autumn Leaves, Last Request) and those in between tracks that don't really go anywhere (Million Faces). The subject matter veers from predictable (girl doesn't like me) to standard (the death of a relative personified by nature) to frankly tired (I've just moved to a new town and I don't know anyone).

His saving grace here, and ironically the biggest disappointment is Nutini's vocals. His thick Scottish accent comes over like the bastard offspring of Rod Stewart and Ryan Adams, the former's passionate growl, with the latter's delivery. It sounds great, and if you disregard the stereotypes and look for talent alone, it's here in abundance. The problem is, that while the boy can howl and croon as well as anyone, you want to hear brooding, dark tales of disrepute from it rather than songs about trainers (New Shoes) and soppy FM ballads.

There is no doubt that Paolo Nutini has the right attributes to be a successful solo artist. There is also little point in arguing that, with the kind of heavyweight promotion and air play he is likely to get, that These Streets could sell by the truckload. It's a waste of potential on Paolo Nutini's part, and another facet to the ever-depressing saga of mainstream singer-songwriters who sit more comfortably next to mocchachinos than they do real angst, torment and passion for their art.

- Chris Saunders

Excerpt from musicOMH.com

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