As someone who grew up a decade after the band's breakup as an absolutely non-objective Beatles fan, it's tricky to evaluate the quality of Paul's new releases as they appear. On hearing them when new, I've thought all his pop releases since the (initially) Soviet Union-only album of rock 'n roll covers in 1988 have been good. Yes, even the critically hammered Off the Ground. Other than that album, the reception by music writers has often generally agreed with my positive assessments. The naysayers must have mellowed out about McCartney just writing great pop songs -- such as on the still critically hated-on Ram -- and not always worrying about making statements in his music.
The last decade has seen him release the going-in-all-directions Driving Rain, the more concise and catchy (though often melancholy) Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, and 2007's All in all, Memory Almost Full is my favorite new McCartney album in quite awhile, and made me go back and rediscover the excellent Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard. The ever-busy ex-Beatle has since released his third collaboration with Youth under The Fireman moniker, and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing it. (Hear Music 2007)