Paul McCartney

When Macca’s latest starts off with a single called “Dance Tonight,” it’s Paul in silly “Pipes of Peace” mode. It’s followed by “Ever Present Past,” probably his best pop song since “Take It Away.” By track four, “Only Mama Knows,” you realize you are listening to the best McCartney album since Band on the Run. Massive orchestrations, whimsical lyrics and easily some of his best singing since he and his buddy Lennon stopped making music together. McCartney has crafted some enjoyable music over the past couple of decades, but this album simply states, “I was a Beatle, dammit!” It feels like Abbey Road Part II. It’s also the first album on the Hear Music label, owned by Starbucks.