On Oct. 14, Paul McCartney released another solo album, “New.” It’s his first solo album in six years but, his 24th studio album since leaving The Beatles. “New” has an upbeat, psychedelic sound that is really youthful for the singer, 71. He sounds genuinely enthusiastic throughout the entire album and it sounds like he is reminiscing about The Beatles days.
The songs on the album were either a hit or a miss with me. While some sounded new and refreshing, others sounded outdated and tired. Here is a track by track review of “New:”
1. “Save Us”: This is the opening track and it made me think of two things when I heard it for the first time: The Strokes and the 80s. This was one of my favorites off the album because it made me want to sing really loud and dance to the pop beat.
2. “Alligator”: This song was lyrically very simple and let the band do the talking, which was phenomenal.
3. “On My Way to Work”: This acoustic song is Paul walking down memory lane. It is slower than the first two songs, which was a big change. It was one of my least favorites off the album because it kind of put me to sleep. Sorry Paul!
4. “Queenie Eye”: This song is bouncy in all the right way. Like the rest of the album, it sounded young but nostalgic at the same time. This song is an ode to his Liverpool days because “Queenie Eyes” is an old Liverpool expression that came from a children’s game.
5. “Early Days”: My favorite off the album, and one of his best solo songs he has ever written. This song is Paul remembering the earlier days of the Beatles with John and just starting out. He seems to remind us that even though we might know so much about the Beatles, he was and is one of the main components of that no matter how old he gets.
6. “New: “New “is the title track of the album and it sounds straight off of The Beatles record “Sgt. Pepper.” Everything about this song reminded me of The Beatles, from the drums and guitar to the harmonies. His voice even sounds younger to me. This was definitely a tribute to the beginning of The Beatles and the start of their career.
7. “Appreciate”: Great song! It has a weird sound that is different than anything off the album. He was really mellow and big sounding. The music made me feel like James Bond and want to dance. This song gets better and better every time you listen to it.
8. “Everybody Out There”: “Everybody Out There” is an acoustic song filled with wisdom that sounds like something my granfather would tell me. While I think musically it is one of the snoozers on the album, it is very nice to listen to if you are missing your grandparent and his/her stories.
9. “Hosanna”: My least favorite off the album. All I can really say about it is that is sounds like a wonky Western love song and his voice sounded a little tired.
10. “I Can Bet”: “I Can Bet” is just okay. There are only so many times you can hear “I Can Bet” repeated before you get tired of it.
11. “Looking At Her”: This song was in the middle for me, I can’t really decide if it’s good or outdated and flat. While the music is catchy and will get stuck in your head, his voice sounds old and the lyrics are mediocre.
12. “Road”: The closing song on the album, the first few seconds leave you wondering what the song is going to sound like. The music is full of mystery but McCartney’s voice sounds a little tired and frail in this one. Musically this song is top- notch and fits in perfectly with the other pop-psychedelic songs on the album.