Paul Simon has made a career of upending expectations, and the results have included some of his most consequential works: from the Jamaican and Latin tinge in his first solo album in 1972, to Graceland with its South African sounds, and his Brazilian sojourn on The Rhythm Of The Saints, both in the 80s. Then there was his recent 2016 album, Stranger to Stranger, which mined the microtonal sound world of American iconoclast composer Harry Partch. In 2023, he released Seven Psalms, a guitar-based song cycle of musings on life and death, faith and technology. Paul Simon joins John to present the work, and dive deep into ways of manipulating sound (Caryn Havlik).

Intended as one piece, Paul Simon's Seven Psalms was recorded entirely on acoustic instruments, and is an intricately layered work. The record is an almost hymnal soundscape, with Paul’s lyrics providing the gravitational center for constellations of sound woven from guitar strings and other acoustic instrumentation – including choral elements from British vocal ensemble VOCES8, and a vocal appearance by Edie Brickell. Seven Psalms reaches back to the very genesis of folk music: King David’s Psalms, which were meant to be sung, not spoken. The result is a quietly moving musical experience which uncovers subtleties upon each listen, (Pioneer Works.)

Listen to a slightly extended version of the interview with Paul Simon here:

Program #4777, Paul Simon Presents Seven Psalms

ARTIST: Paul Simon
WORK: Seven Psalms [33:00]
RECORDING: Seven Psalms
SOURCE: Owl Records and Legacy Recordings
INFO: sevenpsalms.paulsimon.com