With Jimbo Mathus, you never know what you are going to get except that it will be brilliant. This one, over all, is more rock-oriented, beginning with the raw “Gringo Man,” to the country rock of “Can’t Get Much Higher” and the sexy, sultry “Play With Fire.” “Stop Your Crying” slows things down and employs Mathus’ trademark desert imagery and mystic touch before “massive Confusion” and “Wayward Wind” give us a couple of slices of Springsteen-esque goodness.

“Slow Down Sun” is a Southern rock ballad and “Keep It Together” is a mellow Pink Floyd-ish ballad. Then the album closes with an acoustic, delta folk rave-up  called “Catahoula,” which sounds a bit out of place but is a lot of fun.

Here’s the mystery: how does Mathus and this really excellent band give every one of these styles more than a dash of Delta blues? I don’t know, but he does it with loads of enthusiasm and swagger. If you have ever read one of this reporter’s reviews of Jimbo Mathus before, you know that I think each one is the best. This one continues the trend. Mathus is my favorite roots musician and this album actually is the best.. The only problem with it is that it is only 23 minutes long so let’s hope Mathus continues the trend of releasing music very quickly, but every moment is packed with goodness.