<p>Parker Millsap, "Be Here Instead” (Okrahoma Records/Thirty Tigers)</p>
<p>Parker Millsap begins his new album ready to roll, playfully exploring the flexible verb on a song titled “Rolling."</p>
<p>Equally elastic is Millsap’s musical approach throughout “Be Here Instead,” his first album in three years and a departure for the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter. The choice of John Agnello (Kurt Vile, the Hold Steady, Waxahatchee) as producer hints at the new direction, with Millsap opting for arrangements that are denser, sleeker and hookier.</p>
<p>“Now, Here” is built on a percolating synthesizer. “Always” is geared for an uptown dance floor. And on “In Your Eyes,” that’s a violin, not a fiddle. The stylistic experimentation should win Millsap new fans, but old ones might be nonplussed.</p>
<p>Millsap employs clever lyrical structures as he sings about embracing the moment, whistling, whispering and otherwise connecting. Descending melodies are a recurring feature, which fits the mood during a pandemic.</p>
<p>The album was recorded mostly live with a full band, with Millsap’s commanding whiskey tenor front and center, including his impressive flights into falsetto. Talk about elastic. </p>
