Texas Platters

Fifth LP from Austin-via-Ohio song shark Bloom strikes with characteristic wit and charm, but also a sense of thankfulness and mortality following recovery from a 2017 stroke. "Soft Landings," "Harbor," and "Still Life Composition" all softly take stock of life in the singer's gentle tenor, balanced against the whimsy of "Blessings in Disguise" and "Outskirts of Paris." Bloom keeps his melodies easy, but the album lulls more than lingers in its bittersweetness.