2022 · Album
In These Times
Released: September 23, 2022 · Labels: International Anthem Recording Company, Nonesuch Records, XL Recordings · Critical Reception: AllMusic: 4.5/5
Makaya McCraven Listens in Real Time
McCraven assembles a band that listens as hard as it plays, turning conversation into structure.
In These Times finds Makaya McCraven working with a tight circle of collaborators—Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Macie Stewart, Junius Paul, Marta Sofia Honer, and Lia Kohl—in a way that feels less like a studio album and more like a series of conversations happening in the same room. McCraven's drums sit at the center, but they're not leading in the traditional sense. Instead, they're responding, nudging, asking questions. This is his sixth studio album, and by this point he has moved away from the sample-heavy, beat-focused approach that defined his earlier work. What's left is something leaner and more attentive to the people around him.
The album works because everyone on it is genuinely listening. Parker's guitar lines don't announce themselves; they arrive when there's space for them. Younger's harp doesn't decorate—it shapes the harmonic air. Stewart's violin sounds both fragile and completely certain. McCraven drums the way some people talk—not to fill silence, but to complete a thought someone else started. This kind of playing requires trust, and it shows. The album avoids the trap of group improvisation, which is that it can feel self-indulgent or scattered. Here, the pieces breathe and move with actual intention.
AllMusic gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, and that feels right for what this is: a genuinely strong record that doesn't announce itself as important but quietly proves it through execution. If you've heard McCraven's earlier albums and want to understand where his thinking has gone, this is the place to listen. If you're new to him, you might start elsewhere—In These Times assumes you're already comfortable with his aesthetic. But if you come to it, you'll find a drummer who has learned how to lead by following.
Who's playing
Junius Paulbass
Makaya McCravendrums
