Some 50 years after he co-founded The Saints in Brisbane, the late Chris Bailey imparts an affecting final statement with this posthumous album, recorded in 2018. Bailey died four years later, making his lyrical preoccupation with time all the more meaningful. But it’s not just thoughtful studies of aging, decay, and the end of days that make this feel like such a profound capstone on The Saints’ legacy. It’s the sterling arrangements from guitarist/producer Sean Carey, drummer Pete Wilkinson, and a very special guest in You Am I’s Davey Lane. Those arrangements range from plush Americana to off-kilter rock, while Bailey’s vocal takes follow suit with a unique balance of lived-in wisdom and in-the-studio spontaneity. The Saints may have begun as agitated punk trailblazers, but after Ed Kuepper departed in the late ’70s to pursue other work, Bailey kept up the name with a mellower sound and a rotating cast of players. Long March Through the Jazz Age showcases many strong flashes of Bailey’s personality, from his winking lyrics on the Stones-y “Gasoline” and the psych-tinged “Imaginary Fields Forever” to his vivid visions of bygone legions on “Vikings” and the bookending “Empires (Sometimes We Fall)” and “Will You Still Be There.” Strings, horns, and piano also help take these songs to unexpected places, adding one more playful twist to the Saints songbook.