Paul McCartney, McCartney (side A)

The amazing thing on hearing 1970's McCartney is how small it sounds.  The sound of the record presages indie rock, with a smallness that reminds me, a little bit, of Before Hollywood or Colossal Youth.  The drums especially fall into the mix with very little impact.  While it all sounds appropriately small, it's also beautifully mixed across the instrumental palette and frequency spectrum.  Where McCartney's understated song structures and clumsy lyrical turns can feel out of place when juxtaposed with bombast (as on "Live and Let Die", most notably), the same qualities feel organic in the context of this simple record.  The musicianship is consistently great, and the melodies are well-crafted.  The humble front cover image perfectly fits McCartney's simple beauty.