In These Times

The title track from McCraven's 2022 International Anthem debut moves with a contemplative weight that acknowledges the moment of its making — released during a period of collective reckoning and exhaustion — while refusing to collapse into either despair or easy uplift. The arrangement is among McCraven's most lush, incorporating strings and orchestral elements that push beyond the typical small-group jazz setting without abandoning the rhythmic core that defines his work. There's something processual about the music: it moves through feeling rather than describing it, creating space for the listener to bring their own emotional content to the experience. The groove maintains that characteristic McCraven quality of being simultaneously recognizable and subtly unsettling, where downbeats are implied rather than announced and the meter breathes rather than marches. The overall effect is of music made for reckoning with difficulty without being consumed by it — a form of sonic companionship during uncertain times. It sits perfectly in the space between active listening and background music, meaningful enough to reward full attention but also capable of providing atmospheric sustenance during work or reflection.