PAUL McCARTNEY
"Egypt Station"
BOTTOM LINE: Another pop-leaning chapter in Macca's legendary career.
Paul McCartney isn't done innovating just yet.
Sure, Macca is embracing his past a little more than usual as he rolls out his new "Egypt Station" (Capitol), which had a few recording sessions at Abbey Road. He even revisited Liverpool to reminisce with late-night TV host James Corden.
But there is no doubt he is still looking ahead. You can hear it in the first single "I Don't Know," a piano ballad that harkens back to The Beatles' heyday but still sounds current, as producer Greg Kurstin applies some of the sonic dynamics he has used with Adele.
The framework of "Egypt Station" allows McCartney to try all sorts of styles, as he imagines each song as a different stop on a train ride. There are some surprisingly risque numbers, including the rocking "Come on to Me," which is his first Top 10 single since 1997 on any Billboard airplay chart, and the even more straightforward "Fuh You," which sounds like a mix of a Coldplay anthem and Katy Perry's "Roar."
"Back in Brazil" is a suite of wild world beat styles, with bits of bossa nova, blooping synths, random screams and funky organ riffs. "Despite Repeated Warnings" is a seven-minute epic tale of a captain piloting his ship into dangerous territory, though with lines like "Those who shout the loudest may not always be the smartest, but they have their proudest moments right before they fall" it's clear Macca is also referring to someone specific. It builds to a dramatic close, with a choir singing, "It's the will of the people." McCartney is more direct on the future singalong "People Want Peace," as well as the charmingly simple "Happy With You."
"Egypt Station" is easily McCartney's most pop-friendly collection in two decades, since 1997's "Flaming Pie," but he accomplishes it with some of the experimental edge he has cultivated in recent years. It's a combination that would work for anyone, but is especially thrilling coming from McCartney.
PAUL SIMON
"In the Blue Light"
BOTTOM LINE: Giving beautiful new context to some underappreciated corners of his catalog.
Just because Paul Simon is set to retire from touring later this month does not mean his creative well has run dry.
Simon's new album, "In the Blue Light" (Legacy), reinterprets songs from throughout his career to create something new, something that reflects his current tastes while still standing the test of time. For the most part, the new versions are simpler and more elegant than the originals, whittled down to their essential beauty with help from jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis and Bill Frisell, as well as the chamber music ensemble yMusic.
Simon slows down "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor," making it warmer and bluesier than the version from 1973's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon." "Can't Run But" from "The Rhythm of the Saints" is also warmer _ less icy Philip Glass minimalism and more energetic acoustic chamber music _ thanks to a new arrangement from The National's Bryce Dessner.
Marsalis turns "Pigs, Sheep and Wolves" _ one of four songs reworked from "You're the One" _ into a New Orleans-styled party. Replacing the original's dramatic bass line with a swinging horn section to spectacular effect, like most of "In the Blue Light."
