Hands up if you want the new Macca album. So that's one for you Sir Paul

Macca returns with his first album of solo compositions since the death of wife Linda and discovery of girlfriend Heather.

Nigel Bell

They say an artist needs inspiration and on Driving Rain McCartney has plenty to draw on - the pain of losing his wife and the uplifting experieince of falling in love again.

Mixed emotions which add up to a mixed album.

But that's nothing new for Paul McCartney. His work since the Beatles demise has always been patchy. Two classic Wings albums (Band On The Run and Venus And Mars) but the majority were hit and miss. The same can be said of his solo work. You'll always find some outstanding songs but there's just as much guff - Press To Play anyone?

His last great collection was probably Flowers In The Dirt 12 years ago. Driving Rain has echoes of that in terms of depth but fails to live up to expectations.

Macca riffs

This is stripped down Macca with some American session men, all slapped together in a couple of weeks. But it's not as lo-fi as you might expect.

Indeed, opener Lonely Road is a great rocker, the title track talks of driving in the rain with the one you love but isn't as twee as the opening "1,2,3,4,5, let's go for a drive" line hints at.

By I Do, however, we're starting to enter repeat territoty - much of this song sounding like Only Love Remains, a minor mid-80s hit.

It's hardly surprising. Sir Paul's been around so long he's bound to return to familiar themes. Your Way harps back to the Tug Of War album and duets with Carl Perkins.

But Driving Rain shouldn't be dismissed out of hand - Spinning On An Axis has a great bass hook and at more than 10 minutes Rinse The Raindrops flies all over the place allowing Macca a good screaming session.

A bit more variation would have helped, maybe even the inclusion of the music of his alter ego The Fireman.