The live and studio versions of Honey Island Swamp Band have always been very different: Onstage it’s all about stretching out, and I’ve seen them play a full Jazz Fest set with only four songs. Studio albums are for keeping the songs concise and varying the groove from track to track. Their sixth full-length is no exception but may be the strongest one yet, coming after a six-year recording break that brought changes in both label and personnel.

The departure of founding member Chris Mule and the addition of keyboardist Chris Spies makes for a more textured, less guitar-centric sound. New guitarist Lee Yankee gets a few chances to strut his stuff, particularly on the slide-driven “High River,” but there are also richly arranged tracks like the advance single “Second Son”—where horns, extra percussion and a backup chorus give the track the dressing-up that it deserves. It also deserves to prompt a lot of concert singalongs, as lyrics about whiskey and cocaine tend to do.

Always a band of many influences, Honey Island Swamp Band’s strength is to draw from them in surprising ways. The second single “Gone” may be the most Allman-esque thing they’ve recorded, but it harks back to the overlooked era of Dickey Betts’ countryish songs, and the HISB’s rhythm section perfectly recaptures that easy-rolling groove. “Dark Days” sounds remarkably like vintage War—complete with harmonica solo—but surprises with its touches of vibes and analogue synth, two things seldom heard in modern funk. And as usual, the best tracks are the ones with the strongest local and regional feel. “By and By” has a Muscle Shoals R&B sound, one of a few cases here where the vocals evince a newfound confidence. And the most New Orleans-sounding track, “Boneshaker,” wraps the essence of a hot jam into four minutes. It raises anticipation for the big stretched-out live version.