Okay, the Jackson Jills are not playing around with their latest recording Couches & Crosswalks. There is not a spud to be found nor a blinking red overhead during these 35 minutes of music. While every track is not a gem on its own, taken as a whole these ten songs make up a completely accessible, enjoyable and enriching album.

The musicality is some of the strongest that I've heard from the Jills in quite some time. The last album I reviewed was the mixed bag 474 from 2017; the lackadaisical arrangements and energy were the two main drawbacks of that previous work. But not so here! The arrangements are exciting and intricate. They entice the listener to explore the soundscape along with the performer. What turn of phrase are we going to have with us today? Some of the choices made by the various arrangers work really well. Plastic Hearts and House of the Rising Sun are especially well-crafted and take the listener on a journey utilizing space and expanse with aplomb to create an aural experience that is most palpable; visceral even. And actually, that airy space is exquisitely utilized by Addy Mirliani on the opening track Moderation. She heightens the juxtaposition of moderation and excess through the use of the punched triplets in the bass during the introduction. Mirliani uses this almost silence again in the closing House of the Rising Sun where the narrator's despicable descent into debauchery is singled out and sliced up for the love of all that is unholy. The fact that multiple arrangers are able to maintain the quality and style of the group around different genres of music just makes it all the better.

Again, the soloists are the absolute gems of this album as they were on the previous release. It's a heavily alto-centric album with a lot of dark and moody voices selling their souls and entrancing the listener like Orpheus in the Underworld. Shockingly, when they are all this good, it means that I don't have one to really single out as my favorite. I could sit and listen to all of them sing the entire album themselves and be pretty dang chuffed in doing so. I'm glad it didn't happen that way because I prefer variety in scholastic a cappella soloists, rather than just a few lead singers showing off. It's just nice to know that they could have gone down that route and still had a stellar product on their hands. I will say in all seriousness that Sara Velazquez has an extremely interesting instrument. I took a long time for me to get used to and appreciate her vibrato on Hypotheticals.

Keep making them like this, Jills! It's serving you all very well and keeping your legacy of excellence in view.

Sometimes, a point can only be made with a carefully recited movie reference. Therefore, I will give just that. One of my favorite movies just happens to be Bad Boys. In one particular scene, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence find themselves in a harrowing car chase, with Lawrence at the wheel. After successfully thwarting the bad guy, Smith turns to Lawrence and exclaims, "Now that's how you're supposed to drive. From now on, that's how you drive."

After listening to Couches & Crosswalks by the Jackson Jills, I can only say one thing: Now that's how you're supposed to sing!

Groups everywhere, take note of the vocal prowess of the Jackson Jills. While I doubt it can be replicated, it should indeed be studied and appreciated.

I was not prepared for the grittiness, sheer force, and often unexplainable funkiness that the Jackson Jills deliver, but here we are. Couches & Crosswalks is full of exemplary singing that will leave you making the highly respected stank face that can only be achieved by a superstar performance.

The Jackson Jills have constructed an album that sounds uniquely them and feels appropriate for a modern audience. The club vibe on All I Am is an immediate draw for younger listeners, packed with appropriate studio effects and an alluring soloist that constantly drives the momentum forward, never once feeling lackluster. The group has a track here that is ready for the radio play.

Plastic Hearts brings the funk to the party with electric pounding energy, an eclectic assortment of sources for rhythm, and a low-end sound that will have the neighbors yelling for you to lower the volume! And if you're not moved by Clara Scheutz's sizzling solo, then you just don't like good music. All I can say is, prepare yourselves for that final vocal run.

The big moments keep coming with Mamma Knows Best; I swear Maddie Payne is the reincarnation of Christina Aguilera. Payne's vocals are so tasty as she scats, riffs, and belts with authority, all at an incredible pace. What makes this track even better is how it is backed by the full force of the Jackson Jills, making the groove so easy to move to. This was truly a group effort!

Just when you think you have a moment to catch your breath, the Jackson Jills keep the hits coming with Flesh & Bone. The track is a testament to the stellar production on Couches & Crosswalks as listeners are treated to a heavily produced side of the group; and yet, you're left believing that much of what's presented can be replicated live. The ascending harmonies, flawless bridge, and stratospheric range of Lily McIntyre make this the type of track you just sit back and enjoy.

There are simply too many commendable moments on Couches & Crosswalks to list in one go! To do so would require a full dissertation. I will say that the Jackson Jills are the real deal, and their latest album is straight fire!

It is not often that a reviewer gets to say that, even as the oldest group at its university, a group is approaching its 60th anniversary. But consider it true of the Jackson Jills, whose legacy is in good hands with its recent membership and their work. In a full group effort, Couches & Crosswalks is a very exciting album with many elements to celebrate.

One of the most interesting and notable facets of the track list is that a whopping eight members of the group were responsible for arranging the ten tracks on the album. Arranging, in general, is a strength of the album, with great attention to strong voice leading, interesting chord choices, and good part-writing. To see that responsibility deftly carried out by multiple members rather than a select few is to appreciate the collective musical aptitude of the group's members.

While there is a particular standout element to each track, a few are displays of absolute excellence. Plastic Hearts is an energetic and innovative arrangement featuring Clara Scheutz's unique timbre and alluring, charismatic solo styling. Similarly, Mallika Purandare's arrangement of Flesh & Bone is worth the click alone, but the track's brilliance is enhanced by Lily McIntyre's skillful interpretation of Sammy Rae and exquisitely tasteful studio work from Plaid Productions and Ed Boyer. The album's closing track is a high-octane and texturally varied take on House of the Rising Sun, for which both solo and arranging kudos belong to Addy Mirliani.

A few tracks do not pack the same energetic or imaginative punch of the majority. That Was Yesterday replaces percussion with an obstinately incessant and repetitive rhythmic figure, Hypotheticals serves as little more than an an a cappella transcription, and Rhiannon simplifies a classic song without the nostalgic soul of the original or a particularly inventive reason to seek out this cover. That said, there are facets to appreciate in each of these tracks and, as they are spread out, they don't impact the overall impression of the album.

The Jackson Jills and their full roster's talents are on full display in this most recent release. Whether it's on your couch, a crosswalk, or somewhere in between, Couches & Crosswalks is certainly worth a listen.