Native Tongue

The most interesting songs on 's expertly crafted 11th studio album, 2019's , are the ones that the band wrote for themselves. Sure, we get a handful of big-swinging rock numbers like the philosophically Zen opener "Let It Happen," the bright-toned fan appreciation song "All I Need," and the effusive midtempo anthem about letting God take control with his mercy "The Strength to Let Go." These are all catchy, well-produced songs full of grand chorus hooks and an underlying sense of spirituality that will most likely appeal to the band's longtime fans and anyone who jumped on board with 2003's . Furthermore, with the band having passed the 20-year mark (and gone on indefinite hiatus in 2017 after promoting ), it's impressive that they are able to recapture much of their initial alt-rock buoyancy here. That said, it's fun to hear the band's primary songwriters, lead singer/guitarist and his brother bassist , explore what feel like more personal influences. To these ends, they draw upon ' woozy, '60s-style Baroque psychedelia on "Dig New Streams," pair with vocalist on the synthy, sweet-toned "The Hardest Art," and draw upon -era for the rootsy, piano-driven "Wonderful Feeling." Similarly, they evince 's '70s playfulness with the jaunty acoustic singalong "We're Gonna Be Alright." Elsewhere, they dabble in -esque pop on the -co-write "Voices" and the hip-hop-inflected "Take My Fire." is a nicely cohesive album that lives up to the band's two-decades-long reputation for delivering heartfelt, uplifting pop/rock. ~ Matt Collar