Paul Simon Returns with Seven Psalms: A Dream-Inspired Studio Experience
The spark behind Paul Simon’s latest musical project is unexpectedly modest. Though many assumed his career had quietly closed after the 2018 Farewell Tour, a single, vivid dream prompted a return to the studio and a surprisingly expansive set of new songs. In the morning light, the dream’s content grew into a sequence of tracks that Simon shaped into a cohesive cycle, a seven-part meditation released as a compact, 33-minute listening experience.
The seven psalms feel drawn from beyond ordinary life, arriving as visions born in sleep and rooted in the spiritual depth that has braided itself through Simon’s work since the days of Miss Robinson, when he sang about sacred moments in everyday life. This collection functions as a compact psalter: seven pieces of praise or supplication that loop together, beginning with a reverent homage to the divine and ending with a gentle affirmation of home and eternity. Lyrics touch on the intimate relationship between faith, labor, and hope, carrying a quiet suggestion that time itself may curve toward a kind of timeless invitation.
Dialogue with the World: A Minimalist Yet Rich Musical Conversation
Framed by a restrained vocal approach, Simon, at eighty-one, submits a voice that is crisp and clear even as it carries the weight of years. The guitar work, complemented by the resonant timbre of the dobro, registers with precise, almost painterly touch. The arrangement favors impressionistic guitar picks, subtle percussion, and occasional touches of gong and gamelan—alongside flute, cello, and a large lute-like theorbo—creating a tapestry that feels both intimate and expansive. The melodies drift with blues-tinged folk textures, inviting listeners to hear a dialogic quality as if two curious interlocutors share observations about the modern world.
The sonic landscape suggests a careful approach to censorship and restraint, as seen in the track Trail of Volcanoes, where imagery of eruption and displacement meets a stabilizing, contemplative mood. Rather than anger, the psalms convey a nourishing calm—an atmosphere reinforced when the album’s later tracks feature the warmly nuanced presence of Edie Brickell, whose voice adds a complementary human dimension to the final statements.
Through these seven pieces, the album lays out a quiet, almost meditative path through the American landscape—an artistic decision that echoes the visual restraint of its cover, painted by an American landscape artist. The imagery and mood invite listeners to consider inner peace and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Rather than signaling an abrupt conclusion, the project suggests a resting place that feels more like a pause in a larger journey, with new songs offering clarity and renewal rather than final answers.
Across the sequence, Simon frames a personal diary of faith, memory, and artistic renewal that resonates with fans in Canada and the United States. The music, anchored in folk and blues roots, speaks through a 33-minute cycle that remains remarkably vivid, even as it moves with the ease of a late-life companion. The dream that catalyzed this work is presented not as a literal narrative but as a spiritual itinerary: a vivid portal through which the artist revisits themes of home, time, and the ongoing quest for meaning. Critics note that the record’s mood is more tranquil than triumphant, offering reassurance rather than sensational drama, and inviting steady listening rather than casual, surface-level engagement.
In the tradition of Simon’s earlier explorations of sound and storytelling, the seven psalms balance personal reflection with universal questions. The production emphasizes clarity and warmth, allowing each instrument to speak with intention. The result is a work that rewards repeated listening, with fresh details emerging on each encounter—an experience that seems designed to grow with the listener rather than to tempt with flashy moments. While the Dream-era inspiration anchors the collection, its themes feel contemporary—speaking to endurance, community, and the fragile beauty of daily life in the modern world. At its heart lies a simple invitation: to listen, to reflect, and to find a sense of belonging in a world that often feels unsettled.