Threaded through with nostalgia and elegant instrumentation, Elton John’s 30th studio album is a showcase for his resonant voice, self-assured piano playing and the lyrics of collaborator Bernie Taupin. Moments of palpable musical joy abound. “A Town Called Jubilee” is a gorgeous homage to the pioneers of the American West, featuring loose-limbed slide guitar licks and church-revival harmonies. And when Elton sings, “The solitary eye I’ve been looking through/Committed to connecting the old ways with the new”, on the gentle ballad “Voyeur”, he seems to suggest that returning to his roots can be a magnificent way to move forward.