PAUL SIMON
Surprise
(Warner)

“Anybody care what I say?” asks the singer-songwriter on his first album in some years. It’s a valid question for a pop star whose peak was almost four decades ago. Except when singing an ode to his child in “Father and Daughter,” Simon seems very much the disenchanted 60-something that he is. Yet the discontent expressed lyrically is matched by some of Simon’s most inspired music. With the assistance of production wizard Brian Eno, Simon conjures a range of moods, from the stabbing guitar lines and electronic beats of “How Can You Live in The Northeast” to the Afro-funk of “Outrageous.” The ambitious sonics make for a whole new perspective on a familiar figure, and Simon’s butterscotch voice is still intact. DG

KAREN NUNIS BLACKSTONE
Dark Sun Big Rain
(Ratspack)

The product of a Malaysian singer and her American lyric-writing partner who live together in Akita Prefecture, Dark Sun Big Rain is a world-spanning affair that was recorded mostly in Kuala Lumpur with a cast of Malaysian musicians. A protest singer in the Dylan mold, Blackstone has a powerful voice and puts it to good use against a background of guitars and Malaysian folk instruments in railing against the usual bêtes noires of capitalism (“She’s for Sale”) and war (“Taken Me by Storm”). Perhaps more fun is the rousing tribute to the riches of Malaysian cuisine, “Nasi Campur,” through which Blackstone also manages to deliver social commentary, while “Namahage Blues,” with its spaghetti Western melody, frames an Akita demon legend as a romance between
a foreign devil and local beauty. DG

NEIL YOUNG
Living With War
(Reprise/Warner)

In Bob Dylan’s absence, Neil Young has picked up the protest torch with an album railing against the Bush administration. Recorded at a furious pace and rushed to release, first online and then in stores, these songs have the raw edge of a man with a message, one that might be important enough to skip a lengthy mastering session. Critics will carp about Young’s Canadian passport, but he proves himself a reliable spokesman for the antiwar movement, all set to his quintessential style of folk rock. While this set won’t stand the test of time the way Green Day’s American Idiot might, Young has his finger on America’s pulse. Music and politics don’t always make the best bedfellows, but it sure is nice to listen to when they do. Trevor L. LaClair

CHATMONCHY
Miminari
(Ki/oon/Sony)

The cyclically changing fortunes of rock vs. pop have until now limited indie-rock bands to the nether reaches of Japan’s mainstream charts, with only obscure acts like Osaka’s Afrirampo, another all-girl outfit, making a minor impression. Yet in Shikoku, the three-piece Chatmonchy worked up such a following that they landed a deal with hip label Ki/oon, which likes its acts a little avant-garde. For whatever reason, Miminari opens with its two catchiest numbers and closes with its two most ambitious garage workouts, though by rarely deviating from tight arrangements, it all sits well as a promising debut. Chatmonchy might not set the world alight, but it’s nice to have a sturdy alternative to Japan’s recent chart fodder. Robert Poole

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