Like many of his contemporaries, Paul McCartney (71) is not averse to nostalgia. Looking back is for most living legends more appealing than looking forward. With Kisses On The Bottom (2012) McCartney paid tribute to the standards of his youth and also New, his sixteenth solo album, contains a lot of old wine in new bags. Just listen to the beautiful title track, a song that McCartney has written
… a hundred times before. However, the Englishman also resists the passing of the years. He has plenty of new plans and knows very well how to stay musically relevant. Just as his cheerful appearance is supported by a jar of hair dye, so he baptizes his latest songs in the productions of four young producers: Mark Ronson, Paul Epworth, Giles Martin and Ethan Johns. They make the veteran sound like he's never sounded before. With the shrill guitars on Save Us, the groove on I Can Bet and especially the beats on Appreciate, McCartney really knows how to surprise. He hasn't found the recipe for eternal youth, but New is an excellent modern puppet record.(JE)more