Expectations aren't always easy to understand. Sure they're subjective, we all have our own. And after a while, you start wondering if you're setting the bar too high for certain things. When an artist like Paul Simon goes into the studio, what should we expect? Not every album is going to satisfy at the same level as say, Graceland right? Well, as we fast forward nearly 25 years again we realize why we hold this songwriter in such high regard. So Beautiful or So What is a stunning album, in the true sense of an album, and easily settles in as one of the year's best thus far.

For his first new album in six years, Paul Simon's Surprise will indeed be a wonderful surprise for his fans. "Sonically enhanced" (produced and co-written) by the legendary Brian Eno, the album bubbles and gurgles and percolates and simmers with the electronic beats, synthesized guitars and sinewy keyboard accompaniments that are trademark to Brian Eno's production style and sonic soundscapes.