There’s a moment on “You Without Me,” the only Brandi Carlile solo track on her collaborative album with Elton John, where she sings “Time makes every one of us an absolute cliché.” Despite all the time that music fans have spent with Elton John, he couldn’t be proving her any more wrong on the album that he calls his best in 40 years. 

Following up Carlile’s appearance on John’s last album, 2021’s The Lockdown Sessions, the two make for dynamic duet partners, each bringing the undeniable gravitas and conviction of master storytellers while John’s deep and theatrical voice serves as the bedrock for Carlile’s vocal acrobatics. Exploring synthpop, acoustic ballads, the classic piano-rock stompers John’s known for and even ventures to the fringes of country – sometimes switching between them mid-song – it displays the kind of adventurous spirit that could only come from someone who is legitimately in awe of the power that music holds. After all, John is probably more tuned into modern music than most current-day aficionados.

If you heard Oscar-nominated lead single “Never Too Late,” featured in his recent documentary, and worried about cheesy and sanitized lyricism, you can cast those doubts aside as soon as you hear John changed a lyric about staving off the grim reaper to “Fuck off, Heaven’s gate” for the album. With credits to both Carlile and the legendary Bernie Taupin, the poetics of the album range from an analysis of Little Richard’s career, a story about a mysterious river man, an anthem directed at the LGBTQ+ community affirming their uniqueness and beauty, and thankfulness for steady long-term relationships. 

Album closer, “When This Old World Is Done With Me,” however, finds the grim spectre looming over things once again – this time, though, John approaches it as a “My Way”-esque resolute retrospective, singing “None of this came easy,” but leaving with no regrets. For any longtime fans, rest assured – John is correct in saying that this is an essential chapter in his iconic canon.