A review of 'Surprise' by Paul Simon

Paul Simon does not need to write and sing any more songs to qualify to be a legend. His existing body of work is enough to guarantee him a place in the hall of our consciousness.

I think that the reason that Paul Simon continues to write and play, is to make an attempt to explore and expand the boundaries of his own creativity. To his credit, he has never attempted to cash in on a popular theme.

The album ‘Surprise’ is familiar and surprising in many ways. The songs are perfectly crafted with his trade mark turns of phrase – ‘prayers offered in peace are silent conversations’, ‘people hungry for the the voice of God, hear lunatics and liars, ’acts of kindness, like breadcrumbs in a fairytale forest, lead us past dangers as light melts the darkness’.

Then there is Brian Eno and his textured production. The instrumentation is seamlessly interwoven in tapestry of sonic texture. The album sounds like a Paul Simon album, but with a twist. The lyrics and music perfectly complement each other.

This is music for the troubled times we live in. These are songs of irony & hope. Here is music that demands that you sit up, listen and reflect. Here is modern pop the way it should be, a refreshing change from all that mindless bellybutton fluff that is floating around.

The album is a Warner Bros release, now available in stores for Rs 395.Go buy.