The 66 of the title refers not to the hallowed pop year of 1966 -- a time that saw the release of Revolver, Aftermath, Face to Face, and A Quick One, among other classics -- but the age Paul Weller will be shortly after the release of his 17th solo album. Clearly, mortality is on Weller's mind, introspection inspired as much by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as it is the turning of a calendar page. During that lockdown time, Weller co-wrote tunes with such old friends as Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie, then cut them at his home studio Black Barn with a familiar crew once again anchored by guitarist Steve Cradock. Despite the rock pedigree, 66 bears no hard edges; it's soft and supple, almost Baroquely orchestral at times. The gentleness suits a suite of songs that linger and float, songs where Weller isn't reckoning with the end so much as musing at what's passed before his eyes. He's not looking back ruefully, he's remembering with fondness, even bemusement, emotions that are reflected in the subdued swing of "Sleepy Hollow" and the lush waltz of "My Best Friend's Coat," not to mention the polished punch of "Jumble Queen." This sensibility -- reflective, yet outward-looking -- differs from the somber nature of True Meanings, another late-period record where he takes stock of love and loss. A few years older now, inching closer to 70, Weller sounds looser and lighter on 66 than he did in the recent past, a shift that adds warmth and playfulness to his wisdom. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine