Seven Psalms CD £17.60

Recorded entirely on acoustic instruments,nbspand predominantly performed by Paul,nbspSeven Psalms showcases Simonrsquos craft at its finest and most captivating, simply with his voice and guitar.nbspIntended to be listened to as one continuous piece, the 33minute,nbspsevenmovement composition transcends the concept of the ldquoalbum.A stunning, intricately layered work, itrsquos a record which establishesnbspan engaging andnbspmeditative, almost hymnalnbspsoundscape,nbspwith Paulrsquos lyrics providing the gravitational center for constellations of sound woven fromnbspguitarnbspstrings and other acoustic instrumentation ndash including choral elements from the highlyregarded British vocal ensemble VOCES8, and a beautiful vocal appearance by Edie Brickell.True to the origin of psalms as hymns meant to be sung rather than spoken,nbspSeven Psalmsnbspreaches back to the very genesis of folk music King Davidrsquos Psalms.

The result is a quietly moving musical experience which uncovers a wealth of subtle details with every repeated listen.

A step apart from anything Paul Simon has released before,nbspSeven Psalmsnbspdefies categorization.nbspThe recordrsquos tone is complemented by its artwork, which features a closeup extract of ldquoTwo Owlsrdquo by the celebrated landscape artist Thomas Moran.