Overview
- The 10-track set pairs nine covers with a single original, “Human Mind,” written by Hozier and Allison Russell and voiced with cautious optimism despite lyrics about wartime loss.
- Standout interpretations include Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” featuring Cook’s atmospheric brass, Kevin Morby’s “Beautiful Strangers,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem.”
- Staples, 86, sings with weathered warmth as the arrangements stay breezy and uncluttered to keep her contralto at the center.
- Guests span generations, with Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff, Patterson Hood, Katie Crutchfield, and MJ Lenderman contributing, including on the communal closer “Everybody Needs Love.”
- Early reception is strong, with Rolling Stone calling the album “stunning” and the Associated Press giving it three and a half stars out of five.