Seven Psalms: The Lord / Love Is Like a Braid / My Professional Opinion / Your Forgiveness / Trail of Volcanoes / The Sacred Harp / Wait

This is one 33 minute track, broken into seven pretty distinct movements. For me it was very nostalgic. I have been a devoted fan since I was about 21 years old. I have heard Paul Simon sing about girls, getting high, going to the zoo, getting married, putting his kids to bed, politics, and travel. Now I'm listening to him sing about dying. It was very moving to me.

Note that the second half of this album is much stronger than the first half. And Edie Brickell, who comes in at about 23 minutes or so, really puts it over the top.

• Genre: Folk.

• Influenced by: Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Everly Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, world music.

• Similar artists: Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney.

• About this album: A completely acoustic performance, conceived as a seven-movement piece meant to be listened to in its entirety. Guests on the album include Voces8 and Simon's wife Edie Brickell. The album has been compared to David Bowie's Blackstar and Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker, the final albums for those respective artists. While working on the album, the 81-year-old Simon began to experience hearing loss, attributed to a severe case of COVID. It’s therefore unlikely he will tour or perform live again. If this does turn out to be the final Paul Simon album, it’s a fitting (no pun intended) bookend to a stellar career.

• Metacritic Score: 84 (Universal Acclaim).

• Grammy Nominations: Best Folk Album.

• Song To Sample: The album is not broken into individual songs, but instead is intended to be consumed as one long piece. Its digital incarnations keep this sequencing intact. Click on the album icon to stream the whole thing. Here's a video trailer that explains more about the album and provides samples.