The Rhythm of the Saints

Paul Simon built these songs from the drum kit up, letting Brazilian and West African percussion set the pulse before a single melody arrived — the reverse of how pop usually gets made.

"The Obvious Child" makes the method audible: the Bahian drum corps Olodum lays down a rolling battery of surdo hits that Simon's guitar and voice simply ride, never quite steering. Because the beat comes first, the melodies float in loose, half-spoken shapes rather than snapping into hooks, which is why the record feels less immediately catchy than its predecessor and stranger the longer you sit with it. Try "Spirit Voices" or "Born At the Right Time," where the words drift over the groove like someone thinking out loud. It is an album that trusts the body to lead and lets the meaning catch up later.