Thought it would be good to start a thread on Paul's latest album. Well it just came out in New Zealand today (first in the world, yay!) and on first listen, it is really really impressive. I think this could be his strongest album since 'Flowers in the Dirt'. There are at least 7 tracks that are knockouts and each song has their own hidden depth.
There are a couple of songs where I think his voice isn't quite up to par and is sounding a bit croaky, but on 80% of the album he is sounding MAGNIFICENT vocally! He is still delivering super-high falsettos with beautiful clarity, and he can still flat-out ROCK!
My picks at the moment are 'Save Me', 'Queenie Eye', 'I Can Bet' and 'Looking At Her', and there are a couple of growers which I believe will continue to reward with every listen, such as 'Alligator and 'On My Way To Work'.
One thing I've noticed, is the brilliant lyric-writing, He will be telling a story, then turn it on its head with the unexpected. There is an energy to it almost as if it's his first album, itching to prove oneself. And the songs are ambitious, not just straightforward verse/chorus/verse stuff - it's quite progressive compared to a lot of what you will hear in the pop/rock field these days. This is not the record of a 71-year-old!
Stylewise, you'll hear a bit of everything we've come to expect from Macca. I think there's a strong 'Fireman' element to the album - but the songs are better than anything you'll get on a Fireman album. You've got the likes of 'Everybody Out There' which reminds me of that Off The Ground era, but I think this is better than most of that Off The Ground-era material. I think if this album is to be better than Flowers in the Dirt or Tug Of War, it would need a 'My Brave Face' or 'This One' - strong singles. What it does have, are a slew of 'Figure Of Eight's - good decent and interesting rockers.
I enjoy the diverse sounds he employs on every song - you'll hear electronic/modern style production, you'll hear gritty guitars, you'll hear soothing guitars, you'll hear Cars-style synth keyboards, you'll hear random tomtom drums and backing vocals coming from each speaker. The inventive approach to production reminds me a bit of Press To Play.. maybe in some ways it's almost like a sequel to that album.
Can't wait to play this on repeat all weekend! Definitely one of the best albums I've heard this year, and could very well be The best.
8/10 on first listen.