A long way from the Byrds and the Crosby, Stills and Nash era, David Crosby is still evolving well. At the age of 77, the old American walrus is still a prolific artist, unstintingly generous in his writing. Recorded at Brooklyn's Atlantic Sound Studio, Here If You Listen calls in three other artists who click immediately: Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis and Michael League from the jazz group Snarky Puppy. Together with Crosby they form an original quartet that plays with varied textures, hypnotic themes and folk ballads with pop accentuation, all held together by a unifying writing style. Produced by League, Here If You Listen doesn't put the focus solely on Crosby: he knows how to take a step back and let his partners take centre stage. Things kick off with a gentle dance between the guitars and Crosby and Becca Stevens' voices on Glory. It's a delicate layering of harmonies that creates an almost religious, mystical sound. The duet continues with an electric ballad. Vagrants of Venice is an inspired voyage through time, based around a poetic and dark tale that seems to have leapt straight from the pages of Shakespeare. This contrasts subtly with 1974, which has a Seventies rock sound that is reminding of Bill Fay's light touch at times. Once again, David Crosby proves that he has a nose for collaborations, and that he’s anything but out of inspiration. © Clara Bismuth/Qobuz