Perşembe 18 May 2006, 7:22

And seriously, now I should be. Man, it's late. Or early. Damn you, null time.

However….

How come no one told me about the new Paul Simon album? How come there wasn't some kind of media blitz? Did I totally miss it? The same day as Mr. Lachey? Ah. Sad. But ok.

Regardless, here I am listening to it just openly weeping while reading some of the lyrics. I'm hoping Eno's contributions will settle better in my ear after a few more listens but this album is better than his last and I was infatuated with You're The One for two years. Surprise builds upon his last, more concerned with the continuity of his storytelling than popcraft (not that there's anything wrong with that!) and is more rooted in blues and folk despite the electronic foundations than his past flings with world music (again, nothing wrong there either!). Has a definite connection with Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden's Beyond the Missouri Sky, to me. Americana at its most outreaching.

I have always loved his voice and his wit, but the thing I had to age a bit to really get was the complexity of his guitar parts and the way he plays an electric. It's just so very cruel to the rest of us how easy he makes it sound.

So far, I absolutely adore Another Galaxy, Father and Daughter (at last removed from the Nickelodeon trailer), and Everything About It Is A Love Song.

Introspective, simple, complex, diverse, musical. The man's still got it (and Edie Brickell, to boot).

Anyone else?