Tim Burgess
opens
I Love the New Sky
, his first full-blown solo album since 2012's
Oh No I Love You
, with "Empathy for the Devil" -- a song that's not only a punning salute, it's a statement of purpose. The world may be a mess in 2020, but
Burgess
is choosing compassion over fear, a big-hearted notion for the age of
Trump
and Brexit. While
isn't overtly political, there is certainly a message in how it presents a world without musical borders. Too young and too steeped in acid house to be a hippie,
nevertheless comes across as an accepting, loving sort on
, embracing everything from classic rock and elastic psychedelia to sunny electronica. As a quintessential crate digger,
doesn't necessarily rely upon an especially contemporary collection of references, but the way he repurposes and reassembles old sounds is fresh, even modern.
whirls through a number of ideas and styles, often juxtaposing different eras within the same track, always keeping his eye on inclusion and cheer. The essential generosity of
' spirit helps keep
buoyant during the rare moment it drifts a bit too far into cheerful trippiness. And those moments are so rare, they're hardly noticed. After all, it's hard to be mad at an album that can find positivity in a time as weird and unsettling as 2020. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine