Rating: 8/10
Best Tracks: Andromeda; Find The Torch, Burn The Plans; Trees

When massive hype surrounds an album, one words screams out at me: overrated. Having made the mistake of letting critics disappoint me so frequently in the past, it was with caution that I approached Wake Up The Nation. I needn’t have worried. Although perhaps not worth all the excitement, it’s a pretty darn good album, and its 16 tracks never let you draw breath. There’s a distinctly 60s feel throughout, including the habit of keeping the songs less than 3 minutes long. Weller’s voice is a constant thrill, whether he’s belting out some Rock ‘n’ Roll on the title track, embracing his estuary twang in Find The Torch, Burn The Plans (‘Find the Tooowch, burn the plaaaaans‘), or adopting his new Andy Williams-esque croon on No Tears To Cry. I do feel that with a little trimming of the fat (songs like She Speaks and Pieces of A Dream aren’t nearly as good as the rest), Weller would have a truly great album on his hands. As it is, it’s extremely good, and a must-listen for any fans of The Jam or The Modfather himself.