The five tracks on
Paolo Nutini's
Iron Sky EP contain three taken directly from the dynamic Scottish singer and songwriter's
Caustic Love album. The full-length hit the number one spot on Billboard's U.K. albums chart its first week of release, as well as the top of digital charts in numerous countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The title track -- and second single -- is soaring, funky, brassy R&B. It's a dramatic, emotionally honest screed against religious institutions as systems of mass control. Though a clear standout, the rest is dynamite too. Also noteworthy is the exclusive version of "Scream (Funkify My Life)" from a live BBC performance which is a tad longer -- and more incendiary -- than the album version. Another exclusive is the acoustic version of "Better Man" that closes the set; it still has the drums and organ, but it's looser and more organic, and the blend of lead and backing voices are much closer to what a live reading would render. ~ Thom Jurek