Driving Rain

(Capitol Records)

Like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney is one of the few remaining granddaddies of rock 'n' roll still churning out new music. Well, maybe not "new" new music. Although Driving Rain, McCartney's latest album, will be covered with plastic wrapping and cumbersome stickers guaranteeing its freshness upon purchase, the music inside the case is a mix of recycled sound spanning several decades.

Sure, McCartney's reputation as a rock god is not based on hype - his talent as a musician is unmistakable in this solid ensemble of love ballads, bass riffs and pleas for freedom. Yet what Driving Rain lacks is a spark of creativity, an edge to push McCartney's sound beyond its established capabilities into a territory that deserves critical attention.

Strains of the bass, piano, electric guitar and McCartney's vocals dominate the 16 tracks. Songs transgress from upbeat, early Beatles-esque love songs, to more experimental songs about the world as a "tiny bubble" or "flying to the moon." Sergeant Pepper, here comes McCartney. The song "Heather," with more guitar and less lyrics, is a welcome chance to sink into McCartney's smooth musical rifts and ignore cheesy love sentiments.

The experience of listening to Driving Rain is akin to an episode of "The Muppets" where Kermit the Frog woos Miss Piggy. McCartney is the cuddly American icon: earnest and chipper, tormented by love, but still retaining an optimistic attitude. McCartney sings, "Something's open, it's my heart/ If something's missing, it's when we're apart/ If something's good, it's when we're back/ together again."

Later on the pond, while rowing Miss Piggy, McCartney shares a melancholy muse: "Days go by so quickly/ when you're having fun/ but life is never easy/ even in the sun."

No Kermit, life is not easy anymore, and perhaps that is why the album plays so out of tune right now.