8/10

As one of the most consistent and engaging artists the United States has ever produced, the trailblazing attitude of Cass McCombs seems unwavering nine albums into his career. Unlike many of his other releases throughout his career, which are usually recorded across a number of months in various studios, 'Tip Of The Sphere' was written and produced in a very quick timeframe, allowing the songwriter to really delve into the sound of this new release and deliver one of his most cohesive and succinct LPs to date.

From the start, 'Tip Of The Sphere' plays just like any McCombs record. Blending together psychedelic tones with a woozy and harmonious country-rock vibe, the frontman moves from one luxuriously rich single to the next, pushing the atmosphere of his work even further than we have heard from him before. But what really stands out amongst this new collection, it just how at ease he feels on it. With a commanding presence and powerful writing, it feels like a surge of inspiration has run through the record and McCombs is riding it all the way to finish line.

Many other artists would be struggling to conjure up new ideas at this stage in their career, but Cass McCombs just feels like an unstoppable juggernaut at this point. A well-rounded and brilliantly exciting release, he is the working example of how far great songwriting can take you, even after all these years.