NEW

Paul McCartney’s first album of original material in six years lives up to its NEW title. Recorded in part at London’s Abbey Road Studios and with a fleet of top-notch producers, from Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) and Paul Epworth (Adele) to Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon) and Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin), NEW pulses with current energy and legendary talent. Coming after the sunset-feel of 2007’s Memory Almost Full and a 2012 album of traditional pop and jazz standards (Kisses on the Bottom), NEW isn't the sound of a 71-year-old rocker but of a vital musician hitting his spots. Aside from the Beatles history lesson of “Early Days,” McCartney focuses on a musical authority and melodic sensibility that’s timeless and up to date. A sense of psychedelia filters through tracks like “Save Us,” “Alligator,” “New," and “Everybody Out There,” along with a sense that he’s only getting started.