McCartney 3: Yep it's good.
One was ramshackle and rustic. Two sounded like Paul fell into a bong and landed in synth land and was reenergized as a result. And 3? Pastoral at times and groove heavy at others. Paul's voice is still in fine form, much better than one should expect at 78. Right off of the bat it's a stunner. "Long Tall Winter Bird" is an acoustic noodle. "Find My Way," is a home grown version of Wings in its vintage prime. "Pretty Boys," finds Paul in an introspective mood, same with "Women and Wives. "Lavatory Lil" is just plain fun.
If that were all the album had to offer it would be more than most people. But then there's the soulfulness of "Deep Deep Feeling." One of those hypnotic slow blues that shouldn't work at eight and a half minutes but just keeps building and envelopes you.
The only song that doesn't do it for me is "Deep Down." It just meanders for a bit with Paul talking about partying and looking around. After "Deep Deep Feeling," we didn't need more deep.
But the album redeems this slight misstep with an end that echoes the opening. Here, Farmer Paul is listening all the chores he has to do from fixing the fence to keep the foxes away from the lambs and chickens, to digging a drain by the carrot patch to planting some shade trees that someone someday will enjoy. It may just be about the subject matter at hand, as Paul's always made a suit from a single strand.
But it's hard not to read on another level as Paul facing his age (winter) head on and saying "there's still work to be done." Taken in that light, it's a charming end as much as a moving one.