HOW time flies. It’s five years since Sunny Side Up propelled Paolo Nutini to Brit nomination and Ivor Novello success.

So what’s he been up to since then? Walking, whittling and drinking whisky, apparently. Ideal musing conditions, then, and here we have 13 tracks born out of this sabbatical, ranging from stripped down soul to solid funk. You’ll already have heard an example of the latter; his current single Scream, which is easily the catchiest song on the album.

But it’s far from representative. Elsewhere Nutini has matured into the dark side of Marvin Gaye and he’s the better for it. There’s no sugary Candy this time around, no room for throwaway tosh about pencils and lead, no sing-along’s, no new shoes.

Caustic Love is just that and it’s little short of a volte-face, because at last Nutini has woken up to the fact that he has a god given gift; one of the most soulful voices since Etta James and it’s about time he started using it properly.

The production values and arrangements are also more grown up. Five years ago One Day would have been over-performed, while Let Me Down Easy is almost as honed as a Curtis Mayfield classic. Then there is Iron Sky ; majestic and chilling, it’s the finest thing he’s ever done by a country mile. No longer a confused hybrid of Otis Redding and Bob Marley, Paolo Nutini has finally become the singer he always threatened to be. Perhaps it’s down to the whisky.

Paolo Nutini plays Bridlington Spa on May 28. Sold out