Rhymin’ Paul Simon himself will release his first album since 2011, as the beloved folk rock singer has announced Stranger To Stranger due out on June 3rd. Unlike Simon’s past releases, the new album will focus on more of an exploratory sound with one-of-a-kind instruments for the project. Also featured on the album is Clap! Clap!, an Italian dance music artist.
“There are a lot of preconceptions [about my new work] because I have been familiar to the public for 50 years,” said Simon in a Rolling Stone piece announcing the new release. “They go, ‘Is it going to be Graceland? It is going to be ‘Me and Julio Down The Schoolyard?’ Simon and Garfunkel? The Capeman?’ To get people to listen with open ears, you have to really make something that is interesting because people are prepared for it not to be interesting.”
Interesting it is, as Simon visited Montclair State University for some of the recording sessions, where he used instruments created by music theorist Harry Parch. “Parch said there were 43 tones to an octave and not 12… He had a totally different approach to what music is and had to build his own instruments so he could compose on a microtonal scale. That microtonal thinking pervades this album.” Thus, Simon used Cloud-Chamber Bowls and the Chromelodeon on his new release.
The 11-track album will feature a number of interesting compositions, including the collaborations with Clap! Clap!, guitar instrumentals, and songs with recurring characters throughout the album. The initial track, “Wristband,” was released today along with the announcement.
Listen to “Wristband” below: