Paul Simon

The surprise isn't that Paul Simon and Brian Eno collaborate here. It isn't even surprising that it comes off as well as it does: Simon's more experimental than his folk rep suggests. What is surprising is that he hasn't worked with Eno before now. Simon's songs are now built from circular, untraditional structures, while his lyrics still brim with humanistic confusion and hope. To his credit, Eno never overfills the blank spaces with his sonic schnoodles, making this a collaboration where the spotlight is on the songs, not the individual.

64-year-old liberal singer-songwriter reveals unanticipated knack for soundscaping ("Beautiful," "Outrageous"). (Grade - *)