Posted on: July 11, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Paul McCartney – Memory’s Almost Full / 2007 MPI / 13 Tracks / http://www.paulmccartney.com /

Obviously, this is the new album by Paul McCartney of the Beatles. Individuals should know eir as a former member of the Beatles and Wings, and for being a prolific solo artist in eir own right. However, this is the first time as a music reviewer that I have had a chance to hear McCartney’s work when it was still new (in a reviewing format, that is). The first track on the disc is “Dance Tonight”, and it is a fairly simple track, with little more than a guitar line and a percussive line providing the backdrop for McCartney.

This simple approach to pop-influenced rock is smart and strong for McCartney, providing a single-worthy track that will easily rocket up the chart of adult contemporary charts. While McCartney only adds a little bit of instrumentation to “Ever Present Past”, it feels as if ey has worked with acts like Erasure and Depeche Mode to come up with an electronic crunch to the track. This minor shift in the overall sound of McCartney during this track makes for another catchy track that stands out as different than the first track and almost something that could be likened to the work of a Death Cab By Cutie track. “See Your Sunshine” is a track that jettisons the electronic sound of “Ever Present Past”, and takes up some of the random sounds present in albums like Brian Wilson’s “SMiLE” and the bass lines present in Don Henley solo track.

Again, the touch of McCartney cannot be denied, and ey has yet another single on eir hands. I have to admit, I am not the biggest fan of The Beatles, and consider them to be overrated for the most part. However, my opinion is not as strong as it once was, especially when I heard the intricate string arrangements that start out “Only Mama Knows”. The guitar crunch of this track sounds like something that should be on a classic rock station, and represents the ability of McCartney to come up with interesting tracks in a number of different genres. Give this disc a spin if one is a fan of The Beatles, but also buy the album if one is a fan of catchy rock. McCartney runs the gamut of rock styles, and the disc is stronger as a result of that. Find a copy and buy it!

Top Tracks: Only Mama Knows, Ever Present Past

Rating: 7.5/10

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