Whenever established musicians form a new group, it's tempting to trace where the different elements of the project's music came from. In the case of Muzz, the trio of Interpol's Paul Banks, producer/multi-instrumentalist and Bonny Light Horseman member Josh Kaufman, and former Walkmen drummer Matt Barrick, the band's self-titled debut alludes to its members' other projects and the greats that inspired them (which include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen) in elliptical ways. Banks' voice is still immediately recognizable, but he's become a much more expressive and varied singer over the years, and his softer, deeper delivery on songs such as "Broken Tambourine" recalls his early solo offering Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper instead of his work with his long-running band. Kaufman's detailed, expansive style is just as distinctive, particularly on "Evergreen," a mellow yet kinetic track driven by a rolling bass and embellished with gliding pedal steel and flutes. Barrick gets more than a few moments in the spotlight with turns like the jazzy flourishes of "How Many Days," but he's just as present when he adds to the hushed drama of "Everything Like It Used to Be" with rustling hand drums. However, Muzz is quite a bit more than the sum of its parts. There's an organic, painted desert beauty to the album, and its drifting moods have an unhurried feel that may be due to its lengthy creation (the trio carved out time to record it over the course of nearly five years). Muzz never comes on too strong; even its rockers, like the echo-drenched "Knuckleduster," are more brooding than fiery. Some of the best moments, like the psychedelic, rustic "Patchouli," feel like they were conjured out of nowhere. A testament to longtime friends coming together to make music and gently challenge expectations along the way, Muzz's easygoing grace grows more compelling each time it's heard. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Bad Feeling
2		Evergreen
3		Red Western Sky
4		Patchouli
5		Everything Like It Used
6		To Be
7		Broken Tambourine
8		Knuckleduster
9		Chubby Checker
10		How Many Days
11		Summer Love
12		All Is Dead to Me

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