Egypt Station, album number 25 for Paul McCartney, proves he can still write decent pop songs after all these years, though the album gets bogged down at times by odd choices and lacklustre tunes.
Starting strong, melancholy ballad ‘I Don’t Know’ is a beautiful piece of piano music – something McCartney does quite well. ‘Come On To Me’ returns the listener to classic McCartney, a starry-eyed pop song backed by a cheery brass section. ‘Happy With You’ pairs the singer with an acoustic guitar, McCartney reminisces about his past; leaving his vices behind in exchange for living with the one he loves.
Around the time ‘Fuh You’ arrives, the album starts to crumble. McCartney describes it as a “raunchy love song”. Sure, but it’s also a terrible attempt at reaching the charts with its millennial chorus and desperate sex appeal. ‘Back In Brazil’ is an oddly catchy electronic dance number. ‘Caesar Rock’ is just ‘Jet’ written for 2018. However, the melody of ‘Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link’ is a fun closer.
McCartney does what McCartney does on this very McCartney album. Egypt Station is a worthy entry in his vast discography and it’ll please (and sometimes anger) his loyal fan base.
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