Paul McCartney — The Boys of Dungeon Lane
A music icon delivers a solid late entry to his discography.
Sir Paul McCartney has been in the music business for many decades. And yet, even despite all the time that has passed, and his countless achievements and accolades, it’s made clear by McCartney’s twentieth solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, released May 29th via Capitol Records, that one thing certainly remains intact – his genuine love of making music.
Musically, this is a fairly straightforward rock record with fairly laid back grooves, and a few more up-tempo moments and also softer songs sprinkled in throughout the fourteen song tracklist. The sounds of the instruments are mostly mixed well, with fairly prominent bass lines in tracks like “We Two” adding some great textures to the project. Some of the mixes are a little off, particularly when it comes to the blend of the vocals with the instrumentals, but it’s not enough of an issue to seriously detract from the overall listening experience.
Paul McCartney’s vocals on this project are still as solid as ever – the softer, more airy tone of his voice fits perfectly within the feel of the album. There’s a really endearing reminiscent quality to the album – on that is amplified by the sole feature coming from McCartney’s fellow former Beatle Ringo Starr on the second single “Home to Us”. There is also a wealth of catchy melodies throughout the project, proving the former Beatle’s ear for hooks and elements that stay with the listener is still very much in order. This is exemplified best on highlight tracks such as “We Two” or “Ripples in a Pond”, but is present throughout the entire album.
The Boys of Dungeon Lane does a lot of looking back at times gone by within its writing, with a lot of references to McCartney’s past, particularly his youth in Speke, a suburb of Liverpool, which also inspired the album’s title and cover. It’s mostly fairly simple, but colorful and vivid, adding a great deal to the nostalgic atmosphere of the record by really bringing the stories and places McCartney describes to life. The aforementioned “We Two” and the touching closer “Momma Gets By” are among the best cuts from the record in terms of the lyricism.
Overall, The Boys of Dungeon Lane is a warm, nostalgic record that offers a very pleasant, comforting listening experience. It’s produced very well, and Paul McCartney still retains his charm as a performer and a narrator throughout it, even this far into his career. It’s far from anything revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be – McCartney is far beyond the need to prove himself in any way musically. It’s clear that this is a project made with great joy and passion for the craft, and those sentiments are infectious upon listening.
7.4/10
