I have a huge, huge soft spot for Paul Simon. Simon & Garfunkel was one of the first bands I ever got into (like when I was eight) and I still love virtually everything Simon’s ever done. My musical tastes were shaped by his catchy melodies, pretty harmonies, and wry, literate lyrics. I’m one of the 12 people that bought the soundtrack to his Broadway play.
So I was both excited and trepidatious about the musical debut of his son (with his first wife) Harper Simon. Needless to say, a lot can go wrong with these musical legacy artists. They tend to … try too hard. Happily, Simon escapes that trap — his eponymous debut is a short (30 minute), modest, likeable affair. It doesn’t stray to far from his father’s template, perhaps with a little less folk and a little more steel-guitar americana. Promising.
This track may be the most Paul-like, perhaps because he co-wrote it with Paul. It’s called “Tennessee.”
