Paolo Nutini at The Olympia

Paolo Nutini at The Olympia, Dublin, March 20th 2014

In some corners of the media, the announcement of Paolo Nutini on the line-up for this year’s Electric Picnic was polemical to say the least. They scoffed at the decision to include a singer/songwriter whom they perceived to be nothing but a bit of eye candy who plays the type of mawkish indie pop that you’re likely to hear from James Blunt or The Coronas. Based on last night’s evidence, they may be eating those words come late August.

Kicking off the show with the aptly titled Scream (Funk My Life Up) Nutini began a showcase of new material from forthcoming album ‘Caustic Love’. Embellished by a three man brass section and some gospel style backing singers this is a show that’s more like Springsteen than the aforementioned ‘slice of lifes.’ It’s a catchy tune but coupled with a second new song it results in a slightly drab beginning to the show. Alloway Grove however brings the dancing shoes out and suddenly the Olympia is in full swing.

Nutini said in a recent interview that he had been “stepping outside the comfort zones and writing the best songs” of his life for what will be his third studio album and it’s hard to argue with him. Better Man is a prime example. Its simple sound allows for Nutini’s raspy vocals to fill the Olympia and hush the chatty Saturday night crowd. The night’s first singalong comes in the form of 10/10, only the second song of seven so far not to come from the new record.

So far we’ve had touches of soul, reggae and jazz to add an edge to what used to be a relatively bland live show. Cherry Blossom adds a rockier sound into the mix, as Nutini assumes the role of a frontman rather than a solo artist. The brass section become the highlight of the latter stages of the main set with an uplifting rendtion of No Other Way followed by a completely revamped Pencil Full Of Lead which features Pulp-esque vibes. The gem in Nutini’s forthcoming collection is undoubtedly Iron Sky, a performance of which at Abbey Road recently surfaced on YouTube. It’s every bit as good in the flesh.

A seven song encore (can you call it an encore when it consists of half as many songs as the main set?) includes another revamped classic in the form of Jenny Don’t Be Hasty which segues nicely into a firm fan favourite New Shoes. Consistently adding to his repertoire of sounds, Nutini assumes the role of Christy Moore for a rendition of the Kildare man’s Ride On. Nutini finishes the set off by giving the crowd the opportunity to lift the roof off the Olympia as they belt out every word of Last Request verbatim.

It’s been a while since Paolo Nutini graced our shores and his return was surprisingly entertaining given the flood of new material played, which is a testament to the new album’s quality. This coupled with the re-invented versions of his hit songs mean those lambasting his inclusion at Electric Picnic are in for quite a shock at Stradbally this year.