REVIEW: Paul McCartney, McCartney III

Paul McCartney, McCartney III (Capitol)

Okay, whether or not you believe in a god of creation, just imagine there is one for a second. Then picture what it would be like if it just kept inventing new stuff. Most of it would probably be like, “Oh, gee, uh, green feathers on cats? Okay!” But once in a while, it would really knock one out the park and you’d be like, “Damn, God! Good lookin’!” No one will argue Sir Paul’s rock deity status. But neither will anyone imagine that this — his third entirely solo album in a numbered, eponymous series that began 50 years ago, right after the Beatles broke up — is likely to be his finest work. That said, as far as rock albums recorded by isolated 79-year-olds during a pandemic, it’s totally the best. Aside from one song about male models that would best have been left in the “unfinished ’80s coke bender” pile, few of the other 10 songs here are a miss, and at least two of them hit Fab Four greatness. There’s a little too much low-note voice tampering on some tracks, but that’s really only noticeably unfortunate if compared to some of the songs here that feature vintage, airy, playful Macca vocal heights of yore. Above all, III showcases a master at play, clearly enjoying himself as the outside world burned. Who cares if it’s dad rock? It’s McCartney. 7/10

For more, please visit the Paul McCartney website.

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