I am UIC: Journey to Paul McCartney’s ‘Egypt Station’

After five years since his last studio album, Paul McCartney released his newest album, “Egypt Station,” Sept. 7. The album instantly became a success, becoming McCartney’s “first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200” according to an article by Keith Caulfield on Billboard.com. As a huge fan of the Beatles, I was excited to listen to what the music legend had in store in this album.

Right from the beginning, the album is supposed to evoke a ride on a train with the first track, “Opening Station,” including noises one would expect to hear on a station.  This idea is repeated near the end of the album with “Station II.” The musician’s website explains that each song in between is suppose to be a “station” on this journey. The overall sound of the work is consistent with the Beatles and McCartney’s style.  There are some songs that are high energy and some are ballads.

Overall, I believe this is a solid album. While I do wish that a few songs stuck out a bit more, this does not take away from the overall quality of the work.  I enjoyed the variety of music and the concept behind the album. My favorite of the ballads is “I Don’t Know” with its clear and slow piano along with its reflective mood. I also liked the upbeat song, “Fuh You,” which was stuck in my head for days.

I find it amazing that at 76, McCartney is still creating music and touring.  His music, such as this album, is the closest thing we have to getting new Beatles content yet the music is also uniquely his own. While I would especially recommend this album to fans of the musician and the Beatles, I believe many other will enjoy the album, as well.

Weronika Jozwiak is a sophomore majoring in English. She enjoys watching animated movies, puns and birdwatching. She is not quite sure what she wants do in the future, but she hope that she will be able to find fulfillment in the little things in life and will be able to drink tea to her heart’s content.