Rambling along with a scronky cadence, like a tougher “Penny Lane” or a less refined “Got to Get You into My Life,” Paul McCartney’s new song “New” doesn’t particularly live up to its name — though there’s not a damned thing wrong with that.
After all, you could hardly ask for anything more from McCartney’s long-waited return to solo popcraft — apparently also to be called New, and due in October 2013 — than for it to remind you of his previous work.
That’s McCartney’s great blessing, and his dizzying curse. Everything gets put up against something else. (The Beatles stuff, sure. Also, does this remind you, lyrically, too much of his empty-calorie 1970s-era paeans to the late Linda McCartney? With a little bit of boasty “World Tonight” toughness thrown in? And a swooning vocal moment straight out of “See Your Sunshine”?) Forget all of that for a moment, if it’s possible. Get inside the quiet moment that comes, right at the 2:25 mark, and open your ears to it.
What happens next is a kaleidoscopic moment of musical joy, so pure and unadorned that it could come from no one else … then or now. And just like that, it’s over. But not before the Mark Ronson-produced “New” has reminded you of everything you’ve always loved about Paul McCartney — and, come the fall, will assuredly love all over again.
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Just what you said. I wasn’t too sure about it at first til I abandoned that very faded journalistic comparanoia and just went ‘Well here y’go. 2013 and Paul McCartney is the marketing genius of the day. Let’s hear it.’
Once I got to playing it loud on the 3rd occasion, there was a complete dissipation of the nostalgic element, the ‘weaker voice’ element and an arrival in the now where this is his late late late late LATEST period and like Picasso’s I’ll take em all from McCartney. All shiny and new. Praise the Lord.
The key phrase in this review is “…McCartney’s long-waited return to solo popcraft.” The old perspiration vs. inspiration comparison applies to McCartney, and anyone else held up as an example of a great songwriter – even if you aren’t inspired, a good craftsman should be able to take a pretty average idea and via craft and toil and talent, fashion it into the image of something great. Ultimately that is the difference between Macca’s classic work and his run of bad pop fluff. This piece called “New” isn’t particularly great, but McCartney applies every trick in the book and makes it sound like pretty good stuff, which is the trademark of must of his work: after all, he practically wrote a big chunk of that book. He often takes criticism for his long run of pop schlock creations, but perhaps those were simply ideas that no one challenged him to make better.
I hope this new album really is his return to the practice of his craft.