José González's fourth studio effort Local Valley is a natural continuation of the styles that he has developed over the years both solo and with his band Junip. The album strikes a balance between stripped back arrangements – just Jose's intimate vocal and exquisite nylon string guitar work – and tracks driven by groovy drum machine loops and other percussive elements. With songs sung in English, Spanish and Swedish, Local Valley invites us to look beyond our tribal instincts and join together in a more harmonic state. The album explores our shared humanity and the scientific-based existential questions we face together on our quest to understand ourselves and our place in the cosmos. The album cover showcases the beautiful hand drawn artwork of Swedish designer Hannele Fernström.