The onetime Kyuss frontman – one of the godfathers of stoner rock – is back, and this is some of his best work for decades. The fact that there are relatively few surprises on John Garcia’s third ‘true’ solo album doesn’t lessen how enjoyable it is. And to be fair there’s a funkier, bluesier undercurrent to the usual stoner riffage on a number of tracks. The album definitely benefits from the changes in pace and tone that this brings: it’s not all pedal to metal. Garcia’s voice has always been unique, and those pipes are still working just fine, holding their own against the riffs provided by the classy ‘Band of Gold’ (which is the new name for the backing band that I think is pretty much the same one Garcia has worked with for years). But there’s also some light-touch balladeering (see the aptly named ‘Softer Side’), and the aforementioned funk/blues. Hardly a revelation, but an album that holds its own with much of Garcia’s impressive back catalogue. I’m still playing it every so often and that’s telling: as a January release, this gets extra credit for sticking around in my rotation for the full 12 months of 2019.