Paul Simon review – at 84, back on stage after hearing loss, his resolute artistry is inspiring

M&S Bank Arena, LiverpoolWhat Simon has lost in vocal power he has added in intimacy and authority – and this hushed performance makes for an arena concert like no other In 2018, Paul Simon’s triumphant Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour was intended as his goodbye to decades of full-scale touring. However, even chronic hearing loss hasn’t dimmed his desire to perform again. Here, assisted by partial recovery, specialised sound monitoring and sheer power of will, A Quiet Celebration is different from anything he – or perhaps anybody – has done before, certainly in arenas. Requiring silence and understanding, it’s a hushed and introspective reinvention rather than a euphoric victory lap. Drums are mostly stroked with brushes. The 84-year-old singer-songwriting legend’s voice has lost power and range, but frailty and vulnerability have brought intimacy and authority. Smiling as he addresses a cheering Merseyside audience for likely the last time, he calls it a “humbling experience”. The evening begins with a complete performance of Seven Psalms, the 2023 song cycle which came to him in dreams. It’s a series of quietly haunting musings on life, love, God and death,