Casual listeners view GRACELAND as a comeback/rejuvenation for Simon, not realizing that throughout his recording career, he never stopped growing, with each album expanding on the artistic advances of the previous one. HEARTS AND BONES was the last link in the chain that led to the epiphany of GRACELAND, the adventurous bridge between that album and the poetic insights of ONE TRICK PONY. Simon hadn't yet given himself over to the impressionistic, non-linear lyrical style he would eventually pursue, but here he invests his more traditional story-telling lyrics with a high degree of poetic imagery.
The arrangements are equally imaginative. The moving title tune, which details the breakup of Simon's marriage to actress Carrie Fisher, moves from a folky, acoustic feel to a sensuous, swaying rhythm and back, seamlessly. The witty "Allergies" calls on the services of an unlikely guest, Al Dimeola, to provide guitar pyrotechnics that perfectly capture the song's claustrophobic panic. As always, there are several elegant, harmonically brilliant ballads, such as the evocative "Rene & Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War." Only Simon could attach such a beautiful tune to such a pretentious title. HEARTS AND BONES is a vital, criminally underlooked part of the Paul Simon catalog.

• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 2018-06-08
• Genre: Rock