André 3000 remains impossible to pin down

André 3000 has always been one of rap’s more eccentric geniuses. So I guess it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that André’s first solo release in 17 years, New Blue Sun, is a new-age instrumental album, 87 minutes of minimalist flute melodies and new age spiritual ambience, with nary a human voice on offer. Niño introduced André to many of the players who appear on New Blue Sun—guitarist Nate Mercereau, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, and ambient label Leaving Records founder Matthewdavid, who plays “mycelial electronics” on one track. As far as late-career pop stars taking a hard-left into weirdo avant-garde territory, it’s right up there with Lou Reed’s confounding, controversial 1975 album Metal Machine Music, only a lot more listenable. But on New Blue Sun, André shows that he’s still one of pop music’s most visionary oddballs, and that’s enough.