review: “surprise” by paul simon

Paul Simon’s latest work, Surprise, is a bold step into new sonic territory that finds Simon teamed with Brian Eno, whose modern sonic textures give a very modern and experimental feel. And unlike Simon’s earlier foray into modern sounds (1983’s Hearts And Bones), this works much more effectively, complementing Simon’s trademark lyric storytelling and imagery.

On a whole, this is another crafty retooling of the Paul Simon sound. It’s perhaps the most electronically-processed album Simon has done – and that’s not a bad thing, at all, so long as the sound meshes well with Simon’s sound. And to these ears, it works – though it’ll be jarring to the world-beat and folk faithful who long for Simon to keep hitting the same chord as he did in the 1970s and 1980s. This is not the same Simon sound as There Goes Rhymin’ Simon or Graceland.

In a way, I see the matching of Simon and Brian Eno as something akin to Paul McCartney’s recent work with David Kahne and Nigel Godrich: working with a younger and/or more “out there” producer who will push the envelope.

Overall, the sonic tapestry is much more lush and varied under Eno’s watch. If anything, this may be the most atmospheric Simon work, on a par with Rhythm and Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water in terms of depth of musical textures. And lyrically, there are many small story arcs that continue between songs, something that Simon hasn’t done since the early 1980s, save for his musical, The Capeman.

It’s a fun album – let’s look at it track-by-track:

“How Can You Live In The Northeast?”
Eno’s influence is immediately present from the beginning of this track. The sound drips of Eno’s work with U2, yet still maintains a lot of the Simon groove from Rhythm Of The Saints and You’re The One.

“Everything About It Is A Love Song”
The track opens with an acoustic guitar, then smolders with a grungy guitar background until a rapidfire, quiet beat is established at the intro of the second verse.

“Outrageous”
A lot of funk in the intro leads to a guitar-driven groove. A song about growing old and vanity – “who’s going to love you when your looks are gone” is the harmony refrain of the chorus – the song builds over a very modern, yet not overly- sequenced, groove.

“Sure Don’t Feel Like Love”
A lot of funk behind this, and a lot of effects on the vocals. The harmonies are not only other humans, but voice synths similar to those used by Imogen Heap. Again, Eno’s touches abound: deep synth groans as a base layer, with a lot of sequencing of electronic and acoustic instruments.

“Wartime Prayers”
Yet another acoustic opening, one that reminds me more of Roger Waters than of Paul Simon. In fact, this song – both in terms of musical and lyrical content – would fit completely well into Roger Waters’ work (both solo and with Pink Floyd). When the gospel choir kicks in around 3 minutes in, it is more reminiscent of classic Simon constructions. One of the strongest songs on the album. (If this were a long-playing vinyl album, this is where the side break would occur.)

“Beautiful”
A fast, shuffle about adopting a baby that is a wonderfully uplifting song. The texture of this song is much closer to You’re The One than most of the other material on this album, yet the texture fits in the overall sonic path of the album. Not the strongest track on the album, but it fits.

“I Don’t Believe”
A bit of a raga, though with multiple chords, this song reminds me of a drive along I-70 through Colorado, from Glenwood Springs to Denver. Don’t ask me why, but the beat matches the drive through the scrub canyons, along cliffs and rock faces, through alpine valleys and over high mountain passes. Another strong song, one of Simon’s best.

“Another Galaxy”
Another traveling song in audio texture, which follows “Beautiful” and “I Don’t Believe” quite naturally – an “adoption and return” tryptich, of sorts. This song is the journey home from adopting the child, reflecting on life’s changes, the uncertainties, and even a nod to Simon’s previous work (thinking about the “eye of the hurricane” – a tip of the hat to 2000’s “Hurricane Eye”).

“Once Upon A Time There Was An Ocean”
A song that’s edgy and electric, with a lot of Eno samples and crunch guitar painting a manic transition into the chorus. “Nothing is different, but everything has changed.” Simon uses this effectively as a sonic transition to the next two songs, which aren’t quite of the same cloth as the rest of the album.

“That’s Me”
The song that most closely resembles songs from Rhythm Of The Saints or You’re The One in terms of rhythm and phrasing, it’s also one of the most pedestrian on the album. The lyrics are quite good (and dovetail well with “That’s Me”), but the song doesn’t really cover any new ground like the previous five tracks. Toward the end of the track, the track does open up with some funky slide guitar and looped samples that fatten the sound.

“Father And Daughter”
An older track, recorded in 2002 for The Wild Thornberrys Movie. It seems tacked on, and while it’s a great song and fits the theme of the album (as well as the “side two” story arc), its musical textures don’t mesh well with the rest of the album. This was probably included to give the song more exposure, but it was hardly a necessary inclusion, in my opinion.

Top Songs: “Wartime Prayers”, “I Don’t Believe”
Rating: 8.5/10