Paul Simon has struggled to emulate the majestic triumph that was Graceland back in 1986, so now he’s drafted in Brian Eno, presumably to do for him what Daniel Lanois did for Dylan. Consequently, Surprise has a looser, more atmospheric approach than we normally get from the pristine and musically-disciplined Simon, with lots of swirling textures serving as provocative soundwashes behind the unmistakeable vocals.
‘How Can You Live In The North East’ is heavily percussive, with layered guitars and tape loops far removed from the gentility of Sounds Of Silence, and the whimsical, and perhaps partly autobiographical, ‘Outrageous’ tells of a man fighting the ageing process with “900 sit-ups” over a chopping boogie rhythm. ‘Father And Daughter’ and ‘Beautiful’ are vintage Simon, showing less of Eno’s input than other tracks here, while in ‘Sure Don’t Feel Like Love’ he self-effacingly admits to having been wrong, but just once. But Simon’s at his lyrical best on ‘Everything About It Is A Love Song’, singing of paying off debts if he ever gets back to the 20th century in what could be a reference to his loss-making musical The Capeman.
Paul Simon has always been a thoughtful and literate lyricist, and throughout the album his wordplay is much in evidence. In many respects he’s just one more long-established artist struggling to remain relevant, but this is one pony courageous enough to embrace new tricks.