Seven Psalms
Seven Psalms | ||||
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Studio album by Paul Simon | ||||
Released | May 19, 2023 | |||
Genre | Acoustic[1] | |||
Length | 33:02 | |||
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Producer |
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Paul Simon chronology | ||||
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Seven Psalms is the fifteenth solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon. It was released on May 19, 2023, through Owl Records and Legacy Recordings.[2] The album was conceived as a seven-part piece meant to be listened to in its entirety, and is a completely acoustic performance.[1]
The album is Simon's first since In the Blue Light (2018) and his first of new material since Stranger to Stranger (2016). Guests on the album include Voces8 and Simon's wife Edie Brickell.[3]
Background
Simon has stated the idea for the album came to him in a dream, and that he would wake up between 3:30 and 5:00 A.M. two to three nights a week to write lyrics for the project.[4] The main inspiration for the album was the Book of Psalms.[5] The album's cover art was taken from Thomas Moran's Two Owls.[5] The album is not broken into individual songs, but instead is intended to be listened to as one long piece.[6] Its digital incarnations keep this sequencing intact, and CD copies are not indexed individually.[7]
On April 12, 2023, Simon posted a "trailer" video to YouTube announcing the album and explaining its background.[8]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Daily Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.5/10[10] |
Seven Psalms received positive reviews from music critics. Jon Pareles at The New York Times designated it a Critic's Pick, extolling it as "observant, elliptical, perpetually questioning and quietly encompassing."[11] Chris Willman at Variety called it "a testament to how inquisitive and engaged an artist can be this late in a career [...] Seven Psalms is unlike any other Simon album in almost too many ways to list."[6] Michaelangelo Matos, reviewing for Rolling Stone, interpreted it as iconic of the spirituality at the center of his discography.[12] Poppie Platt at The Telegraph dubbed the effort "a half-shuttered window into the world of the man behind some of the world's most famous songs. If only Simon were to pry open said window slightly wider, one would feel more fulfilled."[9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic found it continually revealing: "At first, the record can seem like a tone poem, a meditation of mortality and spirituality, yet each subsequent listen reveals a moment of grace or insight that helps pull the entirety of the project into relief."[7]
The album has been compared to David Bowie's Blackstar and Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker, the artists’ final albums released in 2016.[6][11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Paul Simon
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Lord" "Love Is Like a Braid" "My Professional Opinion" "Your Forgiveness" "Trail of Volcanoes" "The Sacred Harp" "Wait" | 33:02 |
Charts
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] | 25 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] | 75 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] | 31 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 69 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[17] | 67 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18] | 47 |
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[19] | 64 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[20] | 27 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] | 7 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] | 38 |
UK Albums (OCC)[23] | 28 |
US Billboard 200[24] | 153 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[25] | 25 |
References
- ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon Releasing 33-Minute Continuous Composition 'Seven Psalms'". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon Announces New Album Seven Psalms". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ Grow, Kory (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon Plumbs His Dreams for New 'Seven Psalms' Composition". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon announces new album Seven Psalms, shares trailer with studio footage, new music & more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon Announces New Not-An-Album Seven Psalms". Stereogum. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c Willman, Chris (May 19, 2023). "Paul Simon Considers God, Man and for Whom the Bell Tolls in Quietly Stunning 'Seven Psalms': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 19, 2023). "Paul Simon - Seven Psalms Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Simon, Paul (April 12, 2023). "Paul Simon – Seven Psalms trailer". Retrieved April 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Hall, James (May 19, 2023). "Lewis Capaldi is weepier than ever, Paul Simon goes to church – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Sodomsky, Sam (May 25, 2023). "Paul Simon: Seven Psalms Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ a b "Paul Simon Confronts Death, Profoundly, on 'Seven Psalms'". The New York Times. May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (May 17, 2023). "Paul Simon Dreams of the Eternal on 'Seven Psalms'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 26 May 2023". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-07-03/p/5" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of June 28, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Simon – Seven Psalms". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
External links
- Seven Psalms at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- The Paul Simon Songbook (1966)
- Paul Simon (1972)
- There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)
- Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
- One-Trick Pony (1980)
- Hearts and Bones (1983)
- Graceland (1986)
- The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
- Songs from The Capeman (1997)
- You're the One (2000)
- Surprise (2006)
- So Beautiful or So What (2011)
- Stranger to Stranger (2016)
- In the Blue Light (2018)
- Seven Psalms (2023)
- Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin'
- Paul Simon's Concert in the Park
- Greatest Hits, Etc.
- Negotiations and Love Songs
- The Paul Simon Anthology
- Paul Simon 1964/1993
- Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar
- Recorded as Jerry Landis
- The Essential Paul Simon
- This Better Be Good
- Over the Bridge of Time
- The Ultimate Collection
- The Paul Simon Special (1977)
- One-Trick Pony (1980)
- Paul Simon in Concert (1981)
- The All-Star Gospel Session (1987)
- Graceland: The African Concert (1987)
- Paul Simon's Concert in the Park (1991)
- Born at the Right Time (1992)
- Classic Albums: Graceland (1997)
- The Capeman (theater, 1998)
- You're The One - In Concert (2000)
- Live at the Tower Theatre 2003
- Paul Simon and Friends: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (2009)
- So Beautiful or So What (Deluxe Limited Edition) (2011)
- Live in New York City (2012)
- Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies (2012)
- The Concert in Hyde Park (2017)
- In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon (2023)
- One-Trick Pony Tour 1980
- Never Ending Tour 1999
- On Stage Together Tour