In the Bible, the tale of the prodigal son describes the journey a soul takes to the edge of destruction, before heading home to family and redemption. Ry Cooder mirrors that passage through damnation and salvation on his 11-track gospel-flavored latest LP. The results boast the darkest, most subtle instrumental work of his career. His son Joachim served as his co-producer, adding touches of color that elevate the scenarios Cooder paints with his rich baritone; throughout, his voice veers from righteous indignation to arch humor. Cooder’s distorted slide guitar gives standards like “Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right” and “The Prodigal Son”—with its nod to slide-guitar legend Ralph Mooney—a jubilant aura that’s augmented by the backing vocals of gospel vets Terry Evans, Arnold McCuller and Bobby King. Blind Alfred Reed’s “You Must Unload” is twisted into a second-line strut, with Cooder on banjo and a hint of doo-wop in the backing vocals, while The Stanley Brothers’ “Harbor of Love” benefits from Cooder’s reverent singing and a guitar chiming like church bells ringing in the distance. The album highlight, however, is an original, “Jesus and Woody.” Cooder takes the part of the weary savior, bemoaning the “engines of hate” being revved up by the current administration. He clearly views salvation with an agnostic heart, hoping for something better, even as he acknowledges the swirling chaos—political and personal—that currently surrounds us. It’s a delicate balancing act, and one that he neatly pulls off with his subtle vocals and low-key instrumental virtuosity.