Review Summary: Macca's back! well sort of...
Paul McCartney has had his fair share of flop albums. Especially considering he hasn't released anything note-worthy since "Band On The Run". But his new electrifying release titled "New", stands at the top of anything McCartney has done in the past 20+ years. The album is called "New" for a reason. Paul is taking his music in a different direction than his past albums. This is evident in the first track "Save Us". The song starts off with a substantial guitar riff, and in the way McCartney sings, it's clear that this album is going to have a harder sound than his previous "Kisses On The Bottom". The song ends with McCartney singing a high note, I wish he would've left that part out but it doesn't ruin the song.
The next track "Alligator" continues the momentum that the first track started, With a compelling electronic sound that repeats itself throughout the song, it's the kind of thing that you would hear on the Sgt. Peppers album, which would make any Beatles fan happy. This song has a catchy hook and an awesome guitar solo as well. "On My Way To Work" is another fantastic tune. I was ecstatic when I first heard this track, as it has that catchy Beatles style melody that we all missed. The song does have a heavy guitar riff, but it doesn't deteriorate the song, if anything it adds more to it's sound. I mean, why would he name the album "New" and not try anything new?
On the track "Early Days" I picture McCartney sitting on a rocking chair, talking to his grandchildren about well, the early days. He talks about the struggle he and the Beatles faced trying to catch a record deal.
"Dressed in black from head to toe, with guitars on our backs we would walk the city road. Seeking someone who will listen to our music, that we were writing back at home"
Paul's aging voice only makes the song better, and add's a nostalgic feeling to it. It is also the only solo acoustic song on this record. The title track "New" is the first single off the album, and a great one at that. It's gripping, catchy, and addicting. Paul singing is great. It's no where near to it's potential in his younger days, but still impressive for a man of his age. The song ends with a cute little skit that Paul does.
"Appreciate" is the track that sounds the most different than his past work. This track is on the fine line between decent, and embarrassing. Paul is clearly out of his comfort zone here, making a song with a techno influence. Paul has always wanted to go with the trend of pop-culture, but I feel he is trying too hard on this track. The track isn't bad, but again just out of Paul's comfort zone. Paul makes up for this in the next track "Everybody Out There". Another great song with a gripping 12-string guitar intro. Definitely one of the albums best.
The next track I want to discuss is "Looking At Her". This song, like "On My Way To Work" reminds me of the Beatles days. With a very catchy hook and some good lyrics. It's a lot softer than most songs on the album. This song shows that Macca still has an act for good song writing. "Get Me Out Of Here" reminds me of the really early Beatles days. I mean when they were still called the "Silver Beatles", yeah that early. It has a nice western feel to it, and I can just picture teenage Paul jamming this on his acoustic with John. The album comes with a hidden track "Scared". It's very emotional, and a great closer to an excellent album.
The album is a great listen all the way through, I recommend this to anyone who misses the McCartney from "Band On The Run", or even The Beatles. I guarantee this album will not disappoint.
Best Tracks:
Alligator
On My Way To Work
Early Days
New
Everybody out there
Looking At Her
