Andy Greene of '' Rolling Stone '' dubbed '' Stranger to Stranger '' an " experimental album heavy on echo and rhythm that fuses electronic beats with African woodwind instruments , Peruvian drums , a gospel music quartet , horns and synthesizers . " The album makes use of custom-made instruments , such as the Cloud-Chamber Bowls and the Chromelodeon , which were created by music theorist Harry Partch in the mid-twentieth century . Simon briefly moved the sessions to Montclair State University , where the instruments are stored , in 2013 in order to employ them on the album . " Parch said there were 43 tones to an octave and not 12 , " Simon remarked in '' Rolling Stone '' . " He had a totally different approach to what music is and had to build his own instruments so he could compose on a microtonal scale . That microtonal thinking pervades this album . " " The Werewolf " centers around a werewolf , also an angel of death , who is looking for victims . The song 's origins came from Simon and his band experimenting with slowing down the tempo of a recording they made of the Peruvian percussion instrument Cajón , the Indian instrument gopichand , and hand claps . " Wristband " creates a narrative around a rock musician unable to gain entry into his own concert because he lacks the wristband required . " The Riverbank " was inspired by a teacher that Simon personally knew who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012 . It also takes root in a visit Simon made to wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital . " Proof of Love " and " In the Garden of Edie " , meanwhile , stand as tributes to Simon 's wife , musician Edie Brickell . The album also has continuity , with characters reappearing in songs . " The idea of finishing one song and having the character appear in another song appeals to me . I do n't see why characters should n't appear more than once , " said Simon . The instrumentals " The Clock " and " In the Garden of Edie " function as interludes , designed to give listeners " space . " The two tracks were originally composed for John Patrick Shanley 's play '' Prodigal Son '' , but went unused
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Stranger to Stranger