Brad Mehldau Ride Into The Sun
Released Aug 29, 2025 Nonesuch
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Nov 29, 2025
Strong critical consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Brad Mehldau's Ride Into The Sun reframes Elliott Smith's elegiac world through piano virtuosity and selective guest voices, offering a thoughtful, melancholic-to-bright arc that critics largely applaud.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Better Be Quiet Now
3 critic mentions
“One of Brahms’ biographers described the feeling... 'smiling through tears,' and it would be a good description for the opening tune” — Tinnitist
Tomorrow Tomorrow (feat. Daniel Rossen)
3 critic mentions
“Mehldau approaches some tracks in a manner that would more directly suit Smith’s style, such as on “Tomorrow Tomorrow” — PopMatters
Colorbars (feat. Chris Thile)
3 critic mentions
“Ride into the sun' is a beautiful point in the lyric... of the songs that we play, Colorbars” — Tinnitist
Full critic consensus
Brad Mehldau's Ride Into The Sun reframes Elliott Smith's elegiac world through piano virtuosity and selective guest voices, offering a thoughtful, melancholic-to-bright arc that critics largely applaud. Across three professional reviews the record earned an 85/100 consensus score, with praise centering on how Mehldau balances intimate solo piano moments with denser orchestral and arrangement flourishes to craft emotionally satisfying statements.
Critics consistently point to standout tracks as proof of the album's range. “Better Be Quiet Now” is frequently cited as a rueful, tender opener, while “Tomorrow Tomorrow (feat. Daniel Rossen)” emerges as a highlight for its alluring chord progression, extended piano solo, and Rossen's evocative vocals. Reviewers also single out “Colorbars (feat. Chris Thile)” for its tasteful collaboration and “Sweet Adeline Fantasy” and “Ride into the Sun: Conclusion” for sustaining the record's sequencing and momentum. Across these best songs on Ride Into The Sun, Mehldau's interpretations emphasize minor-major harmonies, homage to influences, and careful sequencing that keeps the collection cohesive.
While some critics note dense arrangements that border on ambitious excess, the prevailing critical consensus describes the album as a tour-de-force of interpretation and restraint. Reviewers agree that the collaborations add character without overshadowing Mehldau's communion with Smith's songs, making the record both an intimate piano statement and a collaborative tribute. For readers searching for a measured verdict on whether Ride Into The Sun is worth listening to, the professional reviews suggest a strongly recommended listen for those drawn to inventive covers, nuanced sequencing, and standout interpretations.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Better Be Quiet Now
Everything Means Nothing to Me
Tomorrow Tomorrow (feat. Daniel Rossen)
Sweet Adeline
Sweet Adeline Fantasy
Between the Bars
The White Lady Loves You More
Ride into the Sun: Part I
Thirteen
Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands
Somebody Cares, Somebody Understands
Southern Belle (feat. Daniel Rossen)
Satellite
Colorbars (feat. Chris Thile)
Sunday
Ride into the Sun: Conclusion
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
The record’s high points are those that balance intimate piano with sweeping orchestral drama, which makes the best songs on Ride Into the Sun feel simultaneously tender and ambitious. Overall, the album’s finest moments are where Mehldau’s integrity and adventurous arrangements converge to create standout interpretations and originals.
Key Points
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The best song succeeds by merging intimate piano with sweeping orchestral arrangements to honor Elliott Smith.
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The album’s core strengths are inventive arrangements, strong guest contributions, and Mehldau’s genre-fluid musicianship.
Themes
Critic's Take
Brad Mehldau returns to familiar territory on Ride Into The Sun, and the best songs - notably “Better Be Quiet Now” and “Sweet Adeline Fantasy” - showcase his gift for piano-led narrative while the vocal collaborations punctuate the flow. The album favors long, thoughtful statements, so tracks like “Ride into the Sun: Conclusion” and “Satellite” underline Mehldau's intellectual rigor without losing emotional pull. Overall the record reads as a tour-de-force rather than indulgence, balancing dense arrangements with moments of intimate piano that mark the best tracks.
Key Points
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“Better Be Quiet Now” best balances orchestration and Mehldau’s piano, anchoring the album’s momentum.
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The album’s strengths are Mehldau’s solo piano virtuosity, thoughtful sequencing, and well-placed vocal collaborations that relieve dense arrangements.
Themes
Critic's Take
Brad Mehldau's Ride Into The Sun reads as a careful, affectionate songbook of Elliott Smith songs and allied pieces, the best tracks showing how Mehldau extends Smith's minor-major gambit. Daniel Rossen and Chris Thile’s appearances are noted as tasteful adornments rather than distractions, and the album's centerpiece moments - especially “Colorbars” and “Tomorrow Tomorrow” - crystallize the record's communion with Smith.
Key Points
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The album's core strength is its affectionate, interpretive approach that marries Smith's minor-major harmonies with Mehldau's classical and jazz sensibilities.