We’ve all heard the joke before: What was the last thing the drummer said before being kicked out the band? “Check out this new song I wrote.”

James Clark, former Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue and current NOLA Country drummer, seeks to buck this stereotype on his second solo release, Cloudwalker. As the album title suggests, Cloudwalker is an airy, atmospheric affair, forgoing the country and western of his day job in favor of more experimental sonic terrain.

Minimalist, world music-inspired arrangements over long, winding jams produce a percussive jazz record with classical elements, such as Bach’s “Menuetto II” performed on vibraphone—one of two solo vibraphone pieces on the record. Cloudwalker is mostly instrumental, with the ambient compositions demanding either intimate headphone listening or background music in a dark living room.

While few of the tracks lock into a tangible groove, foot-tapping is hardly the point. Cloudwalker is filled with arcane mood music, meant to wash over your senses rather than move your bones. Percussion takes center stage, driving the songs while Clark’s keyboard pads only provide background swells to the intricate soundscapes. The sole track with vocals—the Tom Waits-ian “Spyboy”—is the closest the record comes to a danceable rhythm, with a hinted second-line pulse beneath Chris Klein’s echo-drenched jazz saxophone.

The song is a twisted take on classic New Orleans R&B, showing that Clark can have a sense of humor without being the butt of anyone’s joke.