Can a band be great without making a great album? Since releasing in 2012, has richly earned his reputation as a compelling songwriter with a keen understanding of human nature and the role of large-p and small-p politics in our lives. He also has a band, , who can bring those songs to life with a fiery attack that blends what's best about Southern rock, vintage R&B, and punk, invested with a passion that burns bright. That said, while all those qualities have been audible in their first three studio albums, getting the pieces to fully fall into place in front of microphones has eluded them, and the most convincing document of what and could do was 2019's no-frills concert set . 2022's was a conscious effort by to up their game in the studio and make an LP that lives up to their ambitions as well as their talent. If it's not quite the masterpiece they were reaching for, there's no question it's their best studio album to date, the moment where they discovered that finesse can add to their power rather than diluting it. The bash-it-out punch of 2014's and 2017's has been swapped out for a more detailed and dynamic production from (who's been the ' best studio ally for ages), as well as arrangements that give each song a sonic personality of its own. The soul horns on "Outlaws," the rollicking country drive of "(In Remembrance of The) 40-Hour Week," the gospel-infused piano on "Gentlemen," the grand Southern rock moves of "The Battle of Atlanta," and the back-porch acoustic simplicity of "Old Friends" are all brave steps forward for and his bandmates ( on bass and on drums). Though it sounds less like the focused presentation of a muscular power trio a work, it brings out the best in ' songs, and here the whole is greater than the sum of the very good parts. While is clearly not trying to copy the , recalls the at their best in its evocation of "the Southern Thing," depicting working-class life in Alabama with a tone that's compassionate even as it demands a social and economic justice that's rarely been a part of their legacy. Like the ' is an album where dared to think big, and the challenge has brought out the best in them; this is where they finally live up to their not inconsiderable potential. ~ Mark Deming