Twelve albums into a career most often, but not always, synonymous with country-soul, Kurt Wagner’s band have taken on the ticklish susurrations and voice processing of 21st-century music production. Bon Iver is an obvious reference point, but Wagner is a more subtle operator than Justin Vernon – more painterly and granular, less angsty. The title nods obliquely to politics (Wagner’s wife is chair of the Tennessee Democratic party), but Flotus is a calm, cumulative album about lasting love, unfussily filtering ancient through modern. “I don’t want to leave you ever,” Wagner finally croons, a full five minutes into The Hustle, the classily percolating, 18-minute-long closing track.
