After the failure of his musical Capeman, it seemed doubtful whether Paul Simon was going to retain any relevance in the 21st century. Stung by the criticism, New York's most famous tunesmith has returned to more familiar territory for his new album low-key tales of human frailty, infused with African rhythms and Caribbean instrumentation. The songs address big subjects like faith and destiny, but too often Simon's lyrics descend into platitudes, making him sound longwinded and blustering. Still, there are some gorgeous melodies here and Simon remains as fine a craftsman as ever. If only all songwriters could grow old as gracefully as this.