Stranger to Stranger
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
His tenacious pursuit of new sounds ... make this album as rewarding as anything he’s done.
91
Simon’s bemused yet quietly furious slyness is an exemplar to us all.
91
Stranger to Stranger is ... Simon’s most interconnected work, a self-contained world unto itself full of backing tracks that wind up in multiple songs and recurring characters (“the Street Angel”) who pop up in unexpected places.
90
Stranger to Stranger is a title aptly reflected in the music; this is a record of Paul Simon extending his reach, engaging others, and putting the results on paper as well as on an album that just happens to be his most accomplished piece since Graceland.
89
Without a doubt,Stranger to Stranger is a testament to an artist who refuses to be ordinary and pigeonholed. With this LP, Paul Simon has created his best work in many years.
80
Carrying over the momentum from his last excellent release, 2011’s So Beautiful Or So What, this disc features Simon at his most restless, in terms of both his questioning lyrics and his search for the right sound, and that restlessness pays off for the listener in endlessly fascinating ways.
80
For a 74-year-old musical treasure with a host of number one songs and albums and a stronghold within the modern cultural consciousness, this is a fantastic album. In fact - scratch that first part. This is simply a fantastic album.
80
Where the specter of 9/11 hung heavily over Surprise, Simon seems at peace on Stranger to Stranger, acknowledging the twilight yet not running toward it because there's so much to experience in the moment. He's choosing to push forward, not look back, and the results are invigorating.
80
Nobody can do what he does. In fact it’s hard to even imagine anyone attempting to try.
80
It's as inviting, immaculately produced, jokey and unsettled a record as any he has ever made.
80
It’s easy to overlook his densely-nuanced, virtuosic arrangements when so much of this album is just the fattest organic beats you’ve ever heard in your life.
75
Stranger To Stranger is poof positive that Simon isn’t simply still here, but he’s kicking with gusto. In a year where good news has been fleeting for classic rock fans, Simon’s latest is worth grabbing onto with both hands.
72
Stranger to Stranger is arguably the best album of Paul Simon's uneven post-Graceland solo career. His reliably melodic songwriting is buoyed by his most adventurous arrangements in years.
70
Although uncompromising in it’s vision and delivery, ‘Stranger To Stranger’ ultimately, serves as another fine testament to Simon’s craft and ingenuity as a songwriter.
70
Simon gets total credit for staying interesting and pushing stylistic boundaries at an age where many of his colleagues have fallen into different versions of complacence.
60
It’s more of a mixed bag, as per the ice-floe pace of his discography.
While his last effort, So Beautiful or So What, felt original, fresh, & unified; Stranger to Stranger feels like an encore to his discography & a pandering to fans. Certain songs are excellent, but none feel cohesive. Regardless, Simon continues to stay upstream of current musical trends and sound modern.
RANKING THE SONGS:
11. The Clock
10. Street Angel
9. Cool Papa Bell
8. In a Parade
7. Stranger to Stranger
6. Insomniac’s Lullaby
5. In the Garden of Edie
4. The Riverbank
3. The Werewolf
2. Proof of Love
1. Wristband
11. The Clock
10. Street Angel
9. Cool Papa Bell
8. In a Parade
7. Stranger to Stranger
6. Insomniac’s Lullaby
5. In the Garden of Edie
4. The Riverbank
3. The Werewolf
2. Proof of Love
1. Wristband
This is a late-career triumph for Paul Simon. While by no means a perfect album, it harkens back to the best of his solo work. Every song, with the exception of the meandering title track, is quite enjoyable. The album opens with a strong one-two punch. Opener “Werewolf” is an infectious and deliriously wonky reflection on life and death through metaphor, and the deceivingly upbeat “Wristband” critiques the open secret that is class division in our modern world. The rest ... read more
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Year End Lists
| #8 | / | MOJO |
| #12 | / | Rolling Stone |
| #12 | / | Rolling Stone (Australia) |
| #20 | / | American Songwriter |
| #20 | / | LA Music Blog |
| #23 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
| #24 | / | Diffuser |
| #24 | / | Uncut |
| #25 | / | Billboard |
| #39 | / | Paste |
More Lists
MISC LISTS
| / | NPR (First Half) | |
| / | Rolling Stone (First Half) |
Track List
- The Werewolf
- Wristband
- The Clock
- Street Angel
- Stranger to Stranger
- In a Parade
- Proof of Love
- In the Garden of Edie
- The Riverbank
- Cool Papa Bell
- Insomniac’s Lullab
In Library (14)
Added on: April 7, 2016
