First Listen: The Fireman

Paul McCartney and Youth's collaborative project, The Fireman, are soon to return with their first album since 1998's Rushes. DiS was invited to an exclusive playback of the album at London's legendary Abbey Road studios, where two monitors, each the size of a small adult, blew Electric Arguments in crystal clear clarity at a couple of dozen sour-faced hacks with nothing to look at but the engineers in the control room.

Under these conditions, first reactions are very favourable. There's something particularly immersive about the ambient treatments and melodic, gutsy-guitar strums that fill much of the material; Like Brian Eno being pushed around by the Arcade Fire. By the end of the playback - even with just the once through - there's little doubt that this marks McCartney's most creatively liberated body of work this century. It certainly belies his age, and any notions of an earned obsolescence. There appear to be few outright McCartney-isms in either the singing or songwriting, and with Youth's modern production chops it's a worthy, alchemic fit. Come Electric Arguments' release on 24th November, then, it's likely to turn and surprise more than a few ears.

Tracklisting as follows:

1. Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight
   
2. Two Magpies
   
3. Sing The Changes
   
4. Travelling Light
   
5. Highway
   
6. Light From Your Lighthouse
   
7. Sun Is Shining
   
8. Dance 'Til We're High
   
9. Lifelong Passion
   
10. Is This Love?
    
11. Lovers In A Dream
    
12. Universal Here, Everlasting Now
    
13. Don't Stop Running
    

Look out for a full review in the coming weeks.