What a gem. I listened to this album while relaxing tonight after putting my son to sleep. He fell asleep with his stuffed animal: a larger duck. In his other hand, he clutched a smaller, rubber duck—he calls it his “baby ducky”. Normally, I put him to bed and he goes down fine; however, tonight, he screamed for me to come back. I rushed upstairs thinking that he’d dropped his rubber ducky through the bars; tonight, he’d fallen asleep on top of his baby ducky. That’s life with my kid now: delightful routines juxtaposed with the occasional surprises. I cannot help but marvel at the unexpected textures and patterns in the wood of the new branch in the tree of life. Much like listening to Louis’s pleasant release, Dolce Vita, I was delighted and surprised by the musicians’ performances. It’s nostalgic: the funky drums, sunspotted horns, and sprightly guitar sit right at home, with the occasional divergence into an impassioned solo or a bossa nova rhythm, only to return to stasis after the solo ends and the baby ducky is returned.