["The Sounds of Silence"] was steeped in existential solitude….

The elaborations [on the alienation theme] were offered through "I Am A Rock," and "Somewhere They Can't Find Me," and "Blessed," lifting an angry cry of "Oh Lord, why have you forsaken me?" Thrust up as voices of a New Generation, [Simon and Garfunkel] might have pursued this spartan fatalism had not the somber kaleidoscope beauty of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme shifted their emphasis into realms less tied to the psyche. From himself, Simon turned to others, taking his cue not so much from archetype as from individuals. He broadened the base of his images, and in such outings as "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)" and "A Simple Desultory Phillipic" toyed with his own leanings toward serious statement, sacrificing none of the songs' emotional intent. He seemed cheerier, even as "Homeward Bound" drew on the privations...