Let’s get the actual criticism out of the way first: “Egypt Station” is not a truly great album. There aren’t any songs in it that people will be singing in the shower 50 years from now. The great man’s voice is starting to show the ravages of time. There is a do-re-mi simplicity about some of the songs that can be annoying. Finally, some of the lyrics can be cloying, which has always been par for the course on a McCartney album.
None of that matters in the slightest. The man is 76, for Christ’s sake! “Egypt Station” may not be great, but it’s very good, and you will enjoy it. Even after all these years, McCartney can still make simple, but elegant music, and make it look easy. And if there is too much sugar in some of the lyrics, is that all bad in today’s world?
You can hear the influence of earlier songs in some of the new ones. Probably my favorite is “Happy with You,” which is sort of a bookend with “Mother Nature’s Son;” the two share a wonderful acoustic guitar sound and have similar structures and arrangements, but address the world from the perspective of two different ages. Another winner is “Despite Repeated Warnings,” a mini-suite with different movements similar to “Band on the Run” that was written about Trump, Brexit, or both.
I view it as an act of generosity on McCartney’s part that he continues to put out music at an age when most of us have retired. He won’t be with us much longer, so enjoy him while you still can.