Paul Simon has returned to release an album that is quite different than the rhythmic albums he has become famous for over the past two decades. This time we see Paul settling somewhere in the middle of what he has successfully done for 40 years. It is very acoustic, yet has great electric moments. It is very personal yet has a band feel to it. It is God oriented yet not religious. Simon is concerned that his art form remain relevant yet he does not want to chase trends. The resulting collection of songs represents Simon’s struggle to continue to write music yet avoid being a relic of the past.

He treads the tightrope well as he incorporates modern day tricks, including on one song, sampling. He also retains his classic emotional driven lyrics and vocal style allowing the music to fit nicely in with his past catalog.

The album was created with the past, present and future in mind and the results are best on Simon’s songs “So Beautiful So What,” “The Afterlife,” “Getting Ready for Christmas Day” and “Love and Hard Times.” The bottom line is that Simon defies age and expectations on this album, both in a wonderfully musical, thought provoking and heartwarming way.