Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that although there isn't any profane or outwardly offensive language on this soulful and passionate album, many of the songs have sexual undertones with references to sexual desires and exploits that older kids may pick up on. The final track tells the story of a desirable young girl who's quite promiscuous. There are also references to drinking spirits, going to bars, and being drunk.
Families can talk about what it's like to be in love with someone you can't be with. How do you know when you've found your soul mate? What does it mean to wear your morals on your sleeve? You can also discuss Paolo Nutini's age and frankness: What's it like to be a teenager and have a hit record? How would it feel to write personal songs that are shared with the world?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Cristen Pennington
Part soul, part rock, and part R&B, Paolo Nutini's voice is rich beyond his years as he pours his young heart into his first album, THESE STREETS. Though barely out of his teens, this brooding Scottish songwriter is somehow well-versed in the language of love and relationships. Listening to the songs feels a bit like flipping through the pages of Nutini's personal journal as all but two songs detail some element of love, lust, or loss.
The first song, "Jenny Don't Be Hasty," is a rockin' homage to the unrequited love of a May-December romance. He's 18 and she's 23, and he wants to know what older guys have on him. The title song, "These Streets," waxes nostalgic on Nutini's Scottish homeland as he wanders the bustling streets of London feeling pangs of homesickness. "New Shoes" reminds us that happiness is really all about perspective that could be waiting in a new pair of slips.
Perhaps the most achingly heartfelt tune is "Autumn," which pays a tearful tribute to Nutini's late grandfather ("Autumn leaves how fading now/that smile that I've lost/well I've found some how/because you still live on in my father's eyes"). As the one who introduced the young boy to music, it's clear that his "Nonno" was a tremendous and positive influence during Paolo's formative years.
Fans of this CD may also enjoy Ray LaMontagne, Amos Lee, and John Mayer.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentFairly mild references: "Girl you just turn me on," "Let's get down and freaky baby," "Let's get down and dirty." In the song "Alloway Grove," a girl asks to be used. |
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Social BehaviorAllusions to promiscuity and drinking to relieve depression. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSpeaks of "drinking stronger spirits" and "going from bar to bar." There's also a reference to a drunken night at age 16 (legal drinking age in the U.K.) that ended up between the sheets. "Wandering around with a half-pack of cigarettes" appears in one song. |
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