Moving, redemptive and powerfully soulful, Big Inner (Domino Records) is a timeless record told in seven songs that mingle memory with the rawness of any given human moment. The references — from the lyrics that echo the common conditions of love, death, seeking, and finding, to open tributes to artists like Washington Phillips, Allen Toussaint, Jorge Ben, Jimmy Cliff, and Randy Newman — are their own scavenger hunt through music history and through White’s place in it.

A gifted jazz arranger and exceptional guitarist, White's vision for Big Inner was realised with the help of bassist Cameron Ralston and drummer Pinson...