Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4.5/5 Released: May 9, 2006 Reviewer: Trent Depue |
On his newest effort Surprise, Paul Simon is joined by famed ambience producer Brain Eno (U2) who, along with taking partial writing credit for several tracks, took on the daunting task of creating Surprise’s “Sonic Landscape.†This is an accurate, if cryptic description of the albums electronics which provide it with a distinctive electric-funk sound. This, coupled with Simon’s knack for song crafting and musical exploration, are the driving forces on this delightfully complex album.
None of Surprise’s tracks stand out too far from the rest, giving the album a sense of continuity and consistency. The songs accent each other so well that it’s difficult to analyze the songs on an individual basis, making this is a definitively great album. Every song has something to offer, ‘Outrageous’ is fun, ‘Beautiful’ is inspiring, and ‘Father and Daughter,’ an endearing story about the love a man has for his daughter, has heart.
This album is often political in nature, more often than not focusing on racial and religious equality, but what gives this album it’s most endearing quality is that Simon presents his political views it such a way that you barely notice them. Compared to other albums that are made purely for the sake of being political (Neil Young’s Living with War being the prime example), Simon’s subtlety makes the album not only influential but classy. ‘Wartime Prayers,’ the albums finest track, best exemplifies both this, and Brian Eno’s contributions to the album.
Simon’s lyrical craftsmanship and enchanting guitar work are undoubtedly the driving force on Surprise but Brian Eno’s contributions are so paramount to the album’s character that he almost deserves to have his name on the front cover under Simon’s. Together they manage to formulate an album so intricate and meaningful that it has, still quite early in the year, managed to set the benchmark high for albums to come.
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