Seven Psalms
It was rumored that Paul Simon’s 2016 album, Stranger to Stranger, would be his last, but he was inspired to record at least once more. While it’s tempting to call Seven Psalms his response to COVID, it might also have been prompted by the natural arc of life for Simon, 86. With Seven Psalms, the author of some of the last century’s most memorable songs gave himself time to reflect on his life and muse on his own (and everyone’s) mortality.
The Psalms have been the basis for Jewish and Christian liturgics for more than 2,000 years; they have inspired great composers. Simon keeps the settings simple, and the arrangements of largely acoustic instruments are subtle. Accompanying his familiar voice and acoustic guitar are cloud-chamber bowls and other atmospheric percussion; there are various string instruments and the voice of Edie Brickell on two tracks.
Simon isn’t singing a selection of Davidic verses but wrote his own words with the biblical text in mind. The words reflect on history and destiny, doubt and reason. “I lived a life of pleasant sorrows until the real deal came/Broke me like a twig in a winter gale, called me by my name,” he sings. Simon wonders where it all will end. “Life is a meteor, let your eyes roam/Heaven is beautiful, it’s almost like home.”
