Paul Simon's eldest delivers a debut album that echoes his family heritage, offering oldschool country and folk tunes sheathed in delightful harmonies.
Like father like son, isn't that what they say? When the father in question is Paul Simon, that's no bad thing. Not only does the legendary folk troubadour make a guest appearance on this, his eldest son's debut album, he also called in a few friends to help out. The most notable of these is producer Bob Johnston, known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen.
Beginning recording in Nashville, Tennessee, with a number of veteran session musicians surely added to the overriding country and western tone of 'Harper Simon', so much so that they named a song after The Volunteer State. Slide guitars and that oompa oompa bass line ride through 'Tennessee', as well as tracks like 'Shooting Star', 'All I Have Are Memories' and 'Cactus Flower Rag'. But even for non-country fans, these songs are upbeat, jaunty and generally good fun.
Having spent his teenage years playing guitar on the Graceland tour, it's not surprising that Harper Simon has been influenced by his father, but it's the vocal similarity that really stands out. And though it seems unfair to draw too many comparisons, 'Wishes and Stars' is among the more reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, with its sweetly plucked acoustic guitar and circling melody. Similarly, closer 'Berkely Girl' is an unembellished acoustic number, with simple and effortless harmonies.
Despite its religious subject matter, 'All To God' is among the highlights here, deviating from the predominant bounding pace and chirpy mood that runs through the album, to accommodate a sombre tone, hazy harmonies and twinkling electronics. Meanwhile, rock & roll piano and electric guitar add a welcome dimension to mellow ballad 'The Shine'.
On the whole, 'Harper Simon' is undeniable easy on the ears. It's melodic, sweet and familiar, if only a little too much so.
