We’ve all heard more than our share of mediocre Beatles covers, so it’s not without good cause that many will press play on McCartney III Imagined with skepticism. But there’s a refreshingly excellent collection to be found in Paul McCartney’s new album of covers and remixes by Beck, St. Vincent, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Phoebe Bridgers and more.
A top-tier collection of musicians reimagined McCartney III, the solo album Paul delivered last December. Written, performed, recorded, and produced entirely by McCartney, the all-in-one package found a new artistic buoyancy for the legendary rocker. The tracks seem to have been deliberately assigned to artists with which the song would be given a new flare. For instance, QOTSA’s Josh Homme folds “Lavatory Lil” into his own rooster-strutting style with seamless precision.
Early singles by Beck, Dominic Fike, and EOB (moniker of Radiohead multi-instrumentalist Ed O’Brien) gave us a strong indicator that McCartney III: Imagined would be a victory lap reprise on new songs we haven’t fully gotten to know yet.
McCartney III Imagined is available digitally today through Capitol Records, with a physical release slated for Summer. Pre-orders are still ongoing over at McCartney’s website, including limited-edition pink and splatter-colored vinyl.
