On a track from his debut record at 37 years old, Paul Simon’s son Harper is wrestling with the fact that he was born in New York City but his mother was from Tennessee! The track called Tennessee could sum up the entire collection. The country influence with pedal steels and that rustic swing to his songwriting style could find him being confused as Neil Young’s son particularly on The Audit that would have sat easily on Harvest or After The Gold Rush. Shooting Star could have you mistaking him for a brother of Jeff Tweedy or Ryan Adams. His dad’s influence is all over his writing too and he even sings on Ha Ha. There is a beguiling simplicity yet always the sophistication of lyric and melody. Berkeley Girl captures this beautifully; a clever articulate love song. There is humour and personal introspection and a spiritual prelude in the Shaker Hymn All To God. This record is one offering that I am sure God would not mind being given. File beside Jakob Dylan!
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