Carly Simon Returns With Comes in Waves
A deeply personal new chapter from one of America's most distinctive singer-songwriters.
There are some artists whose music belongs unmistakably to a particular era. Then there are artists whose work continues to evolve alongside them. Carly Simon belongs firmly in the second category.
In 2026, the legendary singer-songwriter returns with Comes in Waves, her first album of new original songs in 18 years. The 12-track project is an intimate collection shaped by memory, love, family, loss, creativity and the complicated emotions that can return throughout a lifetime.
Recorded primarily at Simon's home studio on Martha's Vineyard, the album feels less like a conventional comeback and more like an invitation into the private world behind the songs.
The Meaning Behind Comes in Waves
The title captures the emotional philosophy of the album. Simon describes love, grief, joy, loss, creativity and identity as things that can return unexpectedly, rather than moving through life in a perfectly straight line.
That idea gives the record its emotional center. The past is not treated as something that simply disappears. Instead, memories can return, sometimes years later, carrying new meanings.
“Howl”: An Explosive Beginning
The album begins with “Howl,” a song built around emotional release. Rather than encouraging someone experiencing heartbreak to immediately find peace, Simon allows anger and frustration to exist first.
It is an effective opening because it establishes one of the album's central ideas: healing does not always begin quietly.
“Maybe I Never Loved You”
One of the album's most intriguing songs is “Maybe I Never Loved You.” The track examines the uncertainty that can remain after a complicated relationship.
Rather than presenting the past in simple black-and-white terms, Simon leaves room for contradiction. Love, regret, affection and disappointment can exist simultaneously.
“Mother of Pearl”: Family at the Heart of the Record
“Mother of Pearl” is one of the album's emotional highlights. The song turns Simon's attention toward family and motherhood, adding another dimension to a record already deeply concerned with memory.
The result is one of the album's most intimate moments, showing how personal history can become songwriting material without losing its universal emotional appeal.
A Sound Built Around Storytelling
Musically, Comes in Waves does not attempt to recreate the production style of Carly Simon's classic 1970s recordings. Instead, the arrangements give her songwriting room to breathe.
Piano, acoustic textures, strings, guitars and understated rhythm sections support the vocals rather than overpowering them.
That restraint is important. Simon's greatest strength has always been her ability to turn personal experiences into songs that listeners can recognize in their own lives.
Comes in Waves — Full Tracklist
“Do It Anyway”: A Fitting Final Message
The closing track, “Do It Anyway,” provides an appropriately resilient ending to the album.
Its message is simple but powerful: even when circumstances are difficult, there is value in continuing forward.
Coming after such an extended period away from releasing new original material, the song feels almost like a statement of creative persistence.
Why This Album Matters
Comes in Waves is more than a return to recording. It is a document of perspective.
Simon is no longer writing from the same place in life as she was when songs such as “You're So Vain,” “Anticipation” and “Nobody Does It Better” established her as one of America's most important singer-songwriters.
Instead of attempting to recreate those years, she embraces the present. The result is an album about what remains after decades of experiences, relationships, family memories and artistic growth.
Final Verdict
Comes in Waves does not try to recreate the Carly Simon of another generation — and that is precisely why it works.
It is a record about memory, love, family, loss, resilience and the unpredictable nature of creativity. The songs feel personal without becoming inaccessible, and reflective without becoming overly nostalgic.
After 18 years without an album of new original songs, Carly Simon returns with a project that feels honest rather than calculated.
Some things disappear. Some things return. Some memories remain. And sometimes, after everything, the music comes back.
Listen to Comes in Waves
Experience Carly Simon's 2026 album through the official listening platforms.
Source note: Album information and track details are based on Carly Simon's official album page and current music-platform listings.