Jam frontman Paul Weller has opined that Sound Affects is the Jam's best album. Unhappy with the slicker approach of Setting Sons, the Jam decided to go back to basics, using the direct, economic playing of All Mod Cons and "Going Underground," the simply brilliant single which preceded Sound Affects by a few months. Thematically, though, Paul Weller explored a more indirect path, leaving behind (for the most part) the story-song narratives in favor of more abstract dealings in spirituality and perception.
Musically, Weller drew upon Revolver-era Beatles as a primary source the bassline on "Start," which comes directly from "Taxman," being the most obvious occurrence, incorporating the occasional odd sound and echoed vocal, which implied psychedelia without succumbing to its excesses. From beginning to end, the songs are pure, clever, infectious pop -- probably their catchiest -- with "That's Entertainment" and the should-have-been-a-single "Man in the Corner Shop" standing out. "Pretty Green" includes a funk bass-line and rhythm with melodic guitar breaks and psychedelic sound effects.
Sound Affects was the Jam's magnus opera. From beginning to end, it was their most consistent and inventive album, filled as it is with compelling, mesmerizing songs. Here the Jam developped into a legitimate post-punk outfit, taking cues from contemporaries such as Wire, Joy Division and Gang of Four. The guitar and rhythm section sound were more jagged and menacing, while the production was near perfect, filled with surprising subtleties. Mixed with this fresh sounding development of their sound is the Jam's already familiar love for 60's music.
Songs like "That's Entertainment" and "Monday" paint brilliantly vivid pictures of everyday working class life through a psychedelic lens. "Man in the Corner Shop" delivered biting social commentary to a gorgeous jangle-guitar tune. On the more post-punk side of things, there is "Music for the Last Couple" and "Scrape Away," where brilliantly unconventional production, jagged guitar licks and existential lyrics collide to awesome effect. The lyrics were up to the standard one would expect from Weller, which is to say they are completely brilliant. The ability of Weller as a young man to dissect the true nature of the world was always astounding, arguably on this album more than ever before. There is the usually scathing social commentary combined with a thoroughly existential, philosophical tone. Sound Affects is one of the greatest albums of all time, and arguably the best album The Jam ever made.
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