With his lyrical wit and elegant sense of melody intact, Gerry Rafferty combines mature wisdom with a youthful sense of wonder in these tracks, echoing the folk/pop sensibility that made both his work with Stealers Wheel and his early solo efforts so appealing. A distinctly mystical bent can be heard amidst the African tribal rhythms of “Children of the Sun” and the Celtic-blues ambiance of “All Souls.” “Everyone’s a refugee,” Rafferty declares in “The Land of the Chosen Few,” underscoring the restless spirit running through the album. While heavy themes manifest themselves in many of these songs, the album also encompasses everything from luminous lullabies (“Xavier & Honor”) to sly show-biz putdowns (“Whose House is It Anyway”). As in the past, Rafferty goes for an eclectic mix of sounds, invoking vintage Dylan on “Conscious Love,” tapping into an Caribbean feel on “Metanoia” and taking a jazzy stroll on “Keep It to Yourself.” Reaching back, he revives his Stealers Wheel tune “You Put Something Better Inside of Me” as a soulful, dark-burnished ballad.