Jeb Loy Nichols - Parish Bar

In the press material for his new album, Parish Bar, Jeb Loy Nichols describes the album as "some covers, some jazz, some country, some soul-- all the stuff that matters. It's an in-between-time record-- what it sounds like at my house."

His statement captures the modest, homespun charm and easy-going warmth of the album, but does a disservice to the the rather remarkable sophistication and genre-defying vision of the music. There is, indeed, some jazz, some country, some soul, but there is also some hip-hop and R&B, Brazilian and African influences, some rock and roll, some dub... it's a seamless blend a hearty gumbo, and an incredibly idiosyncratic, one-of-a-kind album, all played with a humility that finds joy in the little touches, the small moments. It makes for an album that's a ton of fun to play over and over again, and one of the most accomplished albums I've yet heard this year.