It's hard not to see as a companion piece to , the 2019 album that marked 's first solo record in over 20 years. follows by a matter of months and it shares a similar adventurous sensibility. If anything, it capitalizes on 's restlessness, scaling back the lingering echoes of pop and Americana so the pianist can concentrate on jazz and electronica while allowing him the freedom to dabble in R&B. The latter arrives in the form of "Anything Can Happen," a suitably funky oldie first attempted with back in the '90s. joins a cast of supporting characters that includes , , and , but it's the ghost of that hangs over the album. It's not that sounds like a album, per se, but the elastic electronic arrangements and pensive undertone do feel indebted to 's chief modern acolyte; after receiving the benediction of the indie tastemaker, the keyboardist has seized the freedom to do whatever. Such freedom may be limitless but it comes at a price -- namely, at the expense of clear melodies. Lyrical lines are here but they're elliptical, requiring the rapt attention of the listener, but hooks aren't the point of . It's a moody puzzle box of an album, one that pays dividends with close listening but one that's also fine as evocative background music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine