Paul Simon: So Beautiful or So What – review

In some respects, Paul Simon's latest album is the work of a man approaching 70 putting his house in order. There's a lot of wry musing on the nature of God, who, in Love Is Eternal Sacred Light, peeves that "most folks don't get when I'm joking", on mortality and what awaits us in the afterlife: queues, forms and fragments of rock'n'roll. A shimmering guitar instrumental showcases the elegance of his solo playing, while the densely textured musical tracks convey the diversity of sounds that Simon has absorbed through his life: gospel underscores Love & Blessings; Indian vocal chant and tabla percussion enrich Dazzling Blue; rippling kora melodies dance through Rewrite. Simon's openness and spirit of inquiry ensure that So Beautiful Or So What is never the work of a man slouched in complacency. Even when his experiments don't quite work – the scratching, bouncing Getting Ready for Christmas Day doesn't gel, for instance – you admire the creative energy behind them.