Paul McCartney Gets Better All the Time on Boys of Dungeon Lane

The Boys of Dungeon Lane Album Cover

Jade Read

President / Editor-In-Chief

June 3, 2026

With a catalog as legendary as Paul McCartney's, it would be easy to expect another comfortable trip through familiar territory. Instead, Boys of Dungeon Lane feels surprisingly adventurous. Based on the few hints and singles we were given beforehand, the album seemed destined to be a collection of fairly straightforward songs pulled from McCartney's back pocket. That expectation is quickly shattered. Boys of Dungeon Lane is not only some of Paul's strongest work in recent years, but also some of his most experimental, daring, and unexpected. Rather than serving as another nostalgic addition to an already towering discography, the album reveals a new side of McCartney, one still driven by a desire to invent, innovate, and push beyond the sound that made him a legend.

In “As You Lie There,” listeners are treated to a psychedelic folk ballad that captures the mental back-and-forth of desire. McCartney sweetly reflects on his admiration for a woman before the song transitions into an electric, Doors-esque rock section. The shift serves as the perfect setup for the track that follows, “Lost Horizon.” As catchy as it is unique, “Lost Horizon” establishes what becomes a recurring theme throughout the album: reminiscence. It also showcases a more powerful vocal performance in contrast to lighter tracks such as the long-released single “Days We Left Behind.”

A song we have reviewed before, “Days We Left Behind” feels far more fitting within the context of the full album. Here, McCartney takes a step back from reinvention and instead focuses on reflection, creating one of the project’s most heartfelt moments.

Paul returns immediately to the album’s experimental spirit with “Ripples in a Pond,” a song dedicated to his wife, Nancy Shevell. The track contributes to the record’s rock opera atmosphere while showcasing the impressive range that remains in McCartney’s voice. It serves as a reminder of what this album continues to offer longtime fans before transitioning into the Beatlesque charm of “Mountain Top.”

“Mountain Top” explores the same psychedelic territory once found in classics like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Through its imagery and instrumentation, McCartney revisits those ideas in a way that feels fresh and modern. Not leaving much to the imagination, he fully embraces the psychedelic aesthetic with lyrics such as, “Magic mushrooms peeping through, seem to want to talk and say hello,” before ending the song in a swirling ensemble of instruments layered over muddled conversation.

The next track provides a stark contrast. “Down South” reflects on McCartney’s relationship with George Harrison as he recounts the summer hitchhiking adventures they shared before forming The Beatles. He even references a time “before we learned how to twist and shout,” a subtle nod to the band's future hit.

My personal favorite on the album, “We Two” feels like a glimpse into what modern songwriting can look like when guided by the man who helped define it. The song is as Beatlesque as it is fresh, standing apart from the trend of legacy acts struggling to move beyond their glory years. It embraces many of the qualities that originally brought McCartney to the top while expanding upon them through its production choices, vocal effects, and overall structure.

Continuing to experiment with production and arrangement, “Come Inside” is easily the heaviest song on the album. McCartney taps into the same vocal intensity heard on “Helter Skelter,” once famously described as one of the songs that helped inspire heavy metal. More than anything, the track highlights the remarkable range he still possesses and his ability to fully commit to ambitious ideas.

“Never Know” is a song that benefits greatly from its placement. Positioned between the hard-rock energy of “Come Inside” and the reunion-centered “Home To Us,” it acts as a bridge between the two. Its purpose becomes clear once “Home To Us” arrives, delivering a reunion that feels authentic and emotionally grounded as the two surviving Beatles reflect on their journey after all these years, with Ringo Starr contributing drums, percussion, and co-lead vocals.

As that reunion fades, McCartney shifts into a style of songwriting reminiscent of “Michelle” with “Life Can Be Hard.” The fingerpicking and suave instrumentation mirror elements of that earlier classic while still feeling natural within the context of this album.

One of the few newly written songs on the record, “First Star of the Night” was penned during a rainy evening while McCartney was in Costa Rica in 2024. The song highlights the continued evolution of his songwriting and reinforces the album’s role as a collection of ideas spanning decades of creative work. The contrast becomes even more apparent with the track that follows. “Sailsman Saint” draws from McCartney’s memories of his parents’ postwar struggles and his perception of his family’s livelihood during that period.

Finally, the album closes with “Momma Gets By,” a song that perfectly captures its emotional core. Producer Andrew Watt leaves McCartney’s aging vocals largely untouched, allowing their imperfections to add weight and authenticity to every line. Rather than hiding behind studio polish, the song lets the emotion speak for itself. With that, Boys of Dungeon Lane comes to a complete stop, marking McCartney’s 27th solo album and one that is every bit as authentic as it is excellent.