Paul McCartney — Chaos And Creation In The Backyard

For Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, Paul McCartney revisits the one-man band-ism of his solo debut record in 1970. Tellingly, there's definitely a stark loneliness here. The songs meander atmospherically, often built around piano that's fleshed with bells and random tinkles that don't so much invite as they do lull the listener.

Macca's clipped boogie-woogie doesn't even make an appearance until the third-last track, "Promise To You Girl," though "English Tea" and "Too Much Rain" at least exhibit some of the classic McCartney pop twists that have anchored British music for decades. It all makes for a listen that's thoroughly competent and often elegant in its simplicity, but one that's hardly essential when graded against McCartney's massive catalogue.

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