Harper Simon

Just barely topping the 30-minute mark, Harper Simon's debut LP gives a quick, breezy look at the songwriting skills of Paul Simon's oldest son. Harper, who previously cut his teeth in the cabaret-punk outfit Menlo Park, switches gears for this solo outing, which emphasizes lush arrangements and folksy melodies over Menlo Park's noisy stomp. The new style also highlights the influence the edler Simon, with his distinctive timbre and phrasing channeled throughout. With its finger-plucked guitar riffs and vocal harmonies, "Berkeley Girl" recalls vintage Simon & Garfunkel, while songs like "The Shine" and "The Audit" feature the same lush, rainy-day folk trappings that his dad helped popularize several decades prior.