We already heard that there would be a new Paul Simon album when he announced a big tour back in February, but now it’s official: Stranger To Stranger, Simon’s 13th solo album and his first since 2011’s So Beautiful Or So What, will be out in June. Produced by Simon and his longtime collaborator Roy Halee, the percussively textured LP was in part inspired by Harry Partch, the very cool 20th century American composer who invented and built his own instruments in microtonal tunings. Simon actually traveled to the laboratory at Montclair State University (where the Harry Partch collection resided at the time) to use Partch instruments like Cloud-Chamber Bowls and the Chromelodeon, and an experimental session with the percussionist in Simon’s band and a group of Flamenco musicians provided the sonic backbone for several new songs.

One of those songs is “Wristband,” the album’s lead single, a rhythmic groove that finds Simon spinning a tale of getting locked out of a venue while taking a smoke break into a meditation on the perpetuation of social inequality. The track also features some work by the African-inspired electronic music producer Clap! Clap!, who contributed to a few songs on the album. “Sound is the theme of this album as much as it’s about the subjects of the individual songs. If people get that, I’ll be pleased,” Simon says of the project. “The right song at the right time can live for generations. A beautiful sound, well that’s forever.” You can listen to “Wristband” below, and check out Stranger To Stranger’s tracklist and Simon’s upcoming tour dates below.

Tracklist:
01 “The Werewolf”
02 “Wristband”
03 “The Clock”
04 “Street Angel”
05 “Stranger To Stranger”
06 “In A Parade”
07 “Proof Of Love”
08 “In the Garden Of Edie”
09 “The Riverbank”
10 “Cool Papa Bell”
11 “Insomniac’s Lullaby”

Tour dates:
04/29 New Orleans, LA @ Jazz Fest
05/01 Memphis, TN @ Beale Street Music Festival
05/03 Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
05/04 Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Concert Hall
05/06 Tulsa, OK @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – The Joint
05/07 Thackerville, OK @ WinStar Casino
05/08 Dallas, TX @ AT&T Performing Arts Center
05/10 Austin, TX @ Bass Concert Hall
05/11 Austin, TX @ Bass Concert hall
05/14 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
05/15 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
05/18 Des Moines, IA @ Civic Center
05/19 Lincoln, NE @ Pinewood Bowl Theater
05/20 Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre
05/22 Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverick Center
05/23 Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden
05/25 Portland, OR @ Schnitzer Concert Hall
05/26 Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
05/28 Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle
05/29 Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle
06/01 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
06/03 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
06/04 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
06/05 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
06/11 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight
06/12 St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
06/14 Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
06/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
06/18 Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival Pavilion
06/19 Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook
06/21 Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre
06/22 Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts
06/24 Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
06/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts
06/27 Vienna, VA @ Filene Center (Wolf Trap Summer Series)
06/28 Vienna, VA @ Filene Center (Wolf Trap Summer Series)
06/30 Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
07/01 Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Tennis Stadium

Stranger To Stranger is out 6/3 via Concord Records. Pre-order it here.