I always love listening to new music by Paul McCartney, my favorite Beatle. Even if some of his recent music has been subpar, I like the idea that the guy is still making unique music and working with new artists up into his 70s. However, his two newest releases, “That Day Is Done” and “My Brave Face,” stand out because they are actually original demos of the songs of the same name from McCartney’s 1989 album “Flowers in the Dirt.” But don’t be fooled, these aren’t just re-releases of some of McCartney’s old songs. They are unique in their own way from the originals, mainly because both of the songs feature famed British singer song-writer Elvis Costello. What I like most about these demos is that they drop the somewhat stereotypical, cheesy production value of the late 80s and early 90s that was prevalent in the original releases. The demos strip the songs down to a raw, unadulterated state that makes the tracks much more authentic. Listening to the demo tracks of “That Day is Done” and “My Brave Face,” I get an image in my head of McCartney and Costello just having fun, jamming out and almost coming up with these songs off the top of their heads.“That Day Is Done” reminds me of a traditional country sound, reminiscent of Waylon Jennings or Johnny Cash. It is truly beautiful to hear the combined voices of McCartney and Costello along with the simple but equally catchy backing chords of the guitar and piano. “My Brave Face” is my personal favorite of the two singles. The demo versions of both songs, in my opinion, are superior to the album versions in nearly every way.
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