Paul McCartney continues to innovate in McCartney III
If I’m being entirely honest, when I first queued up McCartney III, I did not know what to expect. I knew that in his heyday with The Beatles, McCartney did some spectacular work. And I knew that in recent years McCartney had released a series of solo albums, although I had not listened to them. I found myself wondering if, after all these years, could McCartney still produce good content? I had my doubts. In this case, I’m very happy to be proven wrong.
Of course, any album made by a former member of The Beatles is inevitably going to be compared to the extensive Beatles discography. Songs like “Find My Way” and “Pretty Boys” contain guitar rhythms and vocal melodies that will sound familiar to many Beatles fans, but these more conventional tracks are a minority on McCartney III.
In lieu of revisiting the established sound of The Beatles, McCartney proves his musical versatility by updating his sound with slick, polished production and drawing on a variety of sources to create something wholly unique. The steady drum beat on the track “Deep Deep Feeling” is almost Phil Collins-esque. The dynamic and energetic track “Slidin’” is reminiscent of the English post-punk revival band Arctic Monkeys. The mellow, acoustic guitar driven song “The Kiss Of Venus” is evocative of the solo work of fellow Beatles members John Lennon and George Harrison.
What is arguably most striking about this album is it’s tone. Amidst all the chaos of 2020, McCartney III has a uniquely light and optimistic mood. It harkens back to the optimistic teen rock atmosphere of the 1960’s that groups like The Beach Boys and The Beatles thrived in, but in more mature and refined ways. In that sense, while McCartney III is undeniably a fun slice of escapism, it still has enough musical substance and depth to feel like you’re hearing something new.
McCartney III is available for listening on Spotify, Apple Music, and other music streaming services. CD, vinyl and cassette editions are available to purchase on Amazon, other digital retailers, and retail stores.
