Eclectic, nostalgic, deeply introspective.

Paul Weller released Find El Dorado on July 25, 2025 via Parlophone Records, delivering a masterfully curated collection of 1970s deep cuts that explores forgotten corners of folk, baroque pop and soul with a contemplative and textured touch.

The album presents 15 obscure covers that shaped Weller’s musical taste, including songs originally by Bobby Charles, Richie Havens, Christy Moore and The Bee Gees. Rather than aiming for nostalgia or showmanship, Weller treats each track with reverence, transforming them into something deeply personal. Find El Dorado feels more like a memoir in mixtape form than a conventional covers record, which may resonate with some listeners while turning away others.

The title track, “El Dorado” by Irish songwriter Eamon Friel, serves as the spiritual centerpiece. Weller strips the arrangement to acoustic bones, with Noel Gallagher providing subtle guitar textures that underline the song’s melancholic tone. According to Music News, Weller said of the project, “These are songs I’ve carried with me for years. They’ve taken on new shapes over time, and now felt like the moment to share them.”

The album opens with “Handouts in the Rain,” a soulful Richie Havens ballad, performed here as a duet with Declan O’Rourke. Bobby Charles’ “Small Town Talk” follows with swampy, country-inflected ease, while Brian Protheroe’s novelty-pop classic “Pinball” is reimagined with understated saxophone flourishes by Jacko Peake.

On “When You Are a King,” Weller transforms White Plains’ 1971 soft-pop single into a sweeping, orchestral piece, arranged by Hannah Peel. The instrumentation across the album is intentionally sparse or minimal, favoring live takes and analog warmth over polished production. Steve Craddock’s guidance as producer ensures a throughline of subtlety and cohesion.

Weller’s vocals are front and center throughout, weathered but emotionally present. His interpretation of Ray Davies’ “Nobody’s Fool”, originally written as a theme for the British TV series Budgie, leans into the weariness of the lyric. The track is a quiet standout, emblematic of the record’s tone: poetic, melancholic and dignified.

Guest appearances are tastefully restrained. Robert Plant contributes harmonica and vocals on the closing track “Clive’s Song,” while Seckou Keita’s kora on “Journey” expands the album’s palette into West African textures. These contributions never overwhelm Weller’s vision. AXS reported, the lineup of collaborators reflects Weller’s lifelong habit of musical cross-pollination which can be overwhelming for some audiences. 

Themes of longing, solitude and faded memory echo throughout the project. According to The Times, the album offers “a baffling but charming set of 1970s covers” and praises Weller’s ability to conjure a “melancholic Englishness,” even in songs originally rooted in American folk and soul. For many listeners there will be some who will always prefer the originals and some who will love these reimagined covers. 

Mojo awarded the album four stars, calling it “a patchwork of unlikely source material woven together with soul and economy.” The review highlights the album’s emotional range, singling out “El Dorado,” “Nobody’s Fool” and “Pinball” as high points. Rock At Night noted that Find El Dorado is “less a covers album and more a map of his emotional and musical DNA.”

While not designed for mass appeal, Find El Dorado resonates with longtime listeners and critics who recognize its craft. Gigslutz praised the album as “one for the ages,” highlighting Craddock’s arrangements and Weller’s vocal phrasing as among the strongest in his recent discography.

Ultimately, Find El Dorado is a project of understated beauty. In reclaiming these long-lost tracks, Weller doesn’t just preserve the past, he reshapes it in his own voice. The album reflects a deep reverence for song craft and a quiet confidence that only an artist in full control of his legacy can offer.