Paul McCartney has scored a chart success this week with his latest solo album ‘McCartney III,’ clocking in at number one on the UK official album charts. According to the Official Charts ‘After a close battle with Taylor Swift’s Evermore (2), The Beatles legend’s 18th solo studio album secures the festive top spot.’ While they may have battled it out for the Christmas number 1 album, there is likely to be no bad blood between the two who get on very well, with Swift interviewing McCartney about his new album for Rolling Stone not too long ago.

‘McCartney III,’ the album, totalling of 11 tracks ranging from 3 to 8 minutes long, was recorded entirely by Paul McCartney with the help of a small team at his studio in the rural Sussex countryside has all of the idyllic charm of the area in possession of some of the finest natural beauty in all of England. The album shows an impressive mastery of a whole variety of instruments which include the standard drums, bass and guitar played with a definite folksy edge, especially on the mostly instrumental opening track ‘Long Tailed Winter Bird,’ which sums up the ambient state of limbo that many of us found us in at the beginning of March 2020 as the country was plunged into lockdown.

The success of Sir Paul McCartney’s album at Christmas time is an endorsement of a British hero and a national treasure and surely a message to the government that the British music industry is still one of our strongest exports and rightly a source of pride, fame and success for those involved in it, as well as anyone who lives in this country. If there is something that we should be proud of as a nation it is surely our music, and The Beatles, arguably the most famous musical and successful British musicians of all time, are our finest achievement.

While the vibe of ‘McCartney III,’ is undoubtedly very inspired by folk music and as a result features largely acoustic instrumentation and a low dynamic throughout most of the tracks, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, the raucous ‘Lavatory Lil,’ is a groovy blues rock number which wouldn’t sound out of place on a ZZ Top record, with a catchy guitar riff reminiscent of the band’s hits ‘Cheap Sunglasses,’ or ‘Sharp Dressed Man.’ Tracks like this are solid proof that, despite well over 50 years in the industry, Paul McCartney is still the same soul that sang ‘Love Me Do,’ in 1963.

While the majority of public attention yesterday was focussed on the singles chart, the number 1 slot of which saw an intense battle eventually won by last years incumbents Ladbaby, the public eye was missing a true success for British music, not only an album recorded by one of UK Pops greatest institutions, but one which features himself playing every instrument. It is an album crafted from top to bottom with great care given to every single detail and not a single moment is outsourced.