Paul Weller is Britain's version of Van Morrison. He's a cranky, restless, highly gifted musician with a strong taste for soul, jazz and doing whatever the hell he desires. Like Van Morrison, who has wandered through territory both terrible ("Have I told you lately" how much I hate that song?) and excellent ("Whenever God Shines A Light", it's on a soul with Van Morrison's yearning), Paul's choices have not always been met with a loving embrace. I wish the Jam had gone a bit longer, and while I think the Style Council's singles are among Weller's best work, the world didn't come tumbling down enough during that phase of his career. Style Council's were generally best when Weller wasn't trying to capture the mood of contentment and peace; that band's noble ambitions seldom seemed to be in tune with Paul's greatest strengths, as his voice definitely reaches a peak when it's at its most energetic and impassioned.

Heliocentric, Weller's fifth studio record as a solo artist, contains his typical handful of wonderful singles ("Sweet Pea, My Little Sweet Pea", "Dust and Rocks", "With Time and Temperance"), but separates itself from recent strong efforts (Stanley Road and the underrated Heavy Soul) with firmer, tighter, more acoustic-based compositions and lyrics which suggest Weller has reached a new peak ("She may look back and blame you, but you only blame yourself/And what good would it all do you if you thought she blamed herself?"). The touches of orchestration and piano that end "Dust and Rocks" help to accentuate one of the main differences between Weller and other artists -- they're not just beautiful, but complicated as well. I hope Weller doesn't follow Paul McCartney and Joe Jackson into classical composition, but there's nothing on Heliocentric that suggests he'd fail in that environment.

In the press, Paul Weller hyped this yet-to-be-domestically-released CD as his latest new direction. While all reviews have been kind, if not glowing, no one has really perceived his radical new sound. I wouldn't use the word "radical" either, but there's definitely been an improvement, with the music on Heliocentric coming closest to finally merging all the phases of his career. Here, you'll spot the jazz of Style Council ("Love-less"), the guitar pop of the Jam ("There's No Drinking After You're Dead") and all of his finest moments as a solo artist (with "Dust and Rocks" recalling another of his great ballads, "Wings of Speed"). Improving each time I give it a spin, Heliocentric reaffirms Weller's ranking as the artist whose new records I'll still be buying in twenty years' time. While it may leave you doubting whether Weller's potential still exceeds his songs, you'll be impressed by the amount of sheer talent he has on display. I can't hear any Paul Weller, even during his house music moments, without concluding that his is a muse which will always matter.