New by Paul McCartney

He's been there and done it all, name it and he's done it. In fact, it would probably be harder if you tried to think of the things that he hasn't done. At the age of 71, Paul McCartney has sold well over 100 million albums and has completely changed the face of music forever. He first started out in an obscure band in the sixties called The Beatles (you probably haven't heard of them). But then they split up and Paul McCartney decided to form Wings in the seventies. That ended and now he has been playing solo for many years. "New" is the latest offering from the legend himself.

Because Paul McCartney has been there and done it all, this means that he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. There is no "second album syndrome" or "mid career crisis" for him. "New", however, will sound surprisingly fresh (for some)
as the name suggests. It's almost as if Paul McCartney has been reborn into some sort of old man superhero. Usually when people get old, they just retire and wait to die. Not Paul McCartney though. Remarkably, he has managed to create something that will entertain listeners rather than bore them. "New" is essentially like an old man telling stories from his past, and these stories will sound incredibly exciting to younger generations.

Everywhere you go on this album, there are splatters of The Beatles seeping through. For example on title track "New" the keyboard sounds an awful lot like the one from "Piggies" on The Beatles "White Album" (but a bit faster though). Another example would be "Early Days" which absolutely screams out to the likes of "Blackbird", "Mother Nature's Son" and "Dear Prudence". There is even a touch of Wings here and there. Try "Everybody Out There" and you'll immediately think of "Mrs Vandebilt". You could go on for a while with the amount of Beatles and wings references. This, however, is a positive thing because it makes "New" a rewarding listen with plenty of replay value.

"Save Us" and "Alligator" are great openers, the first being a fast bluesy number and the second being the same but a bit slower. "On My Way To Work" is a folksy story telling song that will surely make listeners imaginations run wild. "Appreciate" sounds like it could soundtrack a film that involves a stealthy spy sneaking round. "Hosanna" is one of the slower songs on the album and "Looking At Her" sounds like it was written for Paul's new wife judging by the lyrics. "Turned Out" and "Struggle" are delightful piano ballads that are enjoyable.

However, this isn't really an album that will leave behind an amazing legacy like "Sgt Peppers" or "Abbey Road" did. The songs do their job fine though and people will enjoy listening to these tunes. Overall, "New" certainly isn't an old man that hasn't given up hope. Instead it is an old man doing what he has done all these years brilliantly without pushing the boundaries like he did in his past years. The influences from his boundary pushing days are still there though, but some people won't be able to tell. To sum it up: "New" will sound more fresh to casual listeners, but the hardcore listeners will only find it mildly fresh as they'll be able to nitpick out the details that have been done before. Still, this nitpicking can be enjoyable depending on your tastes.

OVERALL: 7/10

BEST SONGS: LOOKING AT HER, EARLY DAYS, ON MY WAY TO WORK.
WORST SONG: I CAN BET