To those who remember 's early days as a gloriously off-kilter alt-country orchestra, 's confident embrace of electronic music on 2016's and 2019's has been a rather puzzling chapter in their creative evolution. 2020's isn't likely to lure anyone who misses the sound of 2000's or 2002's back to the fold, but it does represent a backwards glance to organic sounds and more familiar musical and lyrical territory. is a collection of covers that and his band recorded rather than take the financially uncertain step of going out on tour. Each member of the group ( , , and ) picked a song for them to perform (one of which is a previously unrecorded number by 's ), and they recorded each in a single day, with the musician who chose the tune leading the session. Consequently, is rooted in the sound of a band playing in a room, which was not the case with the two LPs that preceded it, and puts the emphasis on 's craggy, vividly expressive vocals and the way the group interacts around him. is still short on outward country influences (outside of ' pedal steel guitar), and while the album opens with a heartfelt version of 's "Reservations" that's both beautiful and abject, it also closes with an ambient eight-minute coda that will befuddle anyone hoping for clear forward momentum. That said, this music is emotionally eloquent in the way that comes as second nature to , his musicians display strong instrumental skills and a sense of adventure that suits the shape-shifting tone of the album, and some of the biggest surprises here reap the biggest rewards. "Shirley," first recorded the Cleveland proto-punk band , starts as strong, elemental rock and shifts gears into a gentle, rueful paean to a lost love, and the solidly upbeat backing track for their interpretation of ' "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" makes for effective contrast with the wounded emotions of 's vocals. doesn't overlap much with 's original musical vision, but it finds the group picking up on the philosophy behind their early work, and it makes for a satisfying and affecting listening. ~ Mark Deming