Kin (←→), the debut album from Pat Metheny Unity Group—featuring Chris Potter on woodwinds, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, bassist Ben Williams, and multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi—has premiered in the top spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. The album, released February 4 on Nonesuch Records, "takes guitar-led improvisation to new aesthetic levels," says Mojo, Metheny's "eloquent guitar etching a kaleidoscope of sonic hues." Pat Metheny Unity Group is currently touring the United States performing music from the new album; for details and tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

MusicOMH gives Kin (←→) four stars.

"The name of the group and the album’s title suggest history, lineage, family and connections—and Metheny’s latest ensemble brilliantly explores the shared hinterland between a variety of musical fields and approaches," writes reviewer Daniel Paton. "The lengthy pieces allow Metheny and his band to explore a range of dynamics, textures and moods, as well as allowing for some lyrical and articulate improvising. There appears to be a renewed focus on melody too, both in the glorious themes and in terms of Metheny’s personal approach to improvisation.

"The opening 'On Day One' is as joyous and masterful a composition as anyone could hope for," Paton goes on to say. "There’s a sprightliness and a captivating agility present throughout this album, even in its more reflective and graceful moments. This suggests a new ensemble taking complete joy in the art of making creative music and taking new risks."

Read the complete review at musicomh.com.

"There's constant energy between Metheny and his band," writes the Philadelphia Inquirer's A.D. Amorosi in a new album review; "wild thought bubbles filled with frizzy rugged polyrhythms ('On Day One') and curtly angular electro-blips ('We Go On') driving the guitarist's most rigorously complex, yet contagious melodies in some time. With effusion and electricity, Kin proves that Metheny's sound is as mature as it is teasingly young."

Audiophile Audition gives the album a perfect five stars. "Far from regurgitating past glories with new musicians, Kin (←→)seeks to up the ante," writes reviewer Ken Micallef. "Metheny can still make you forget the past and hear his music in the moment, anew. Kin (←→) is a lush, dynamic, and dramatic recording that while alluding to past touchstones also brings fresh melodic, instrumental and particularly harmonic values to the table."

To pick up a copy of Kin (←→), head to iTunes or the Nonesuch Store, where CD and vinyl orders include a download of the complete album at checkout, and the album is available to purchase as MP3s and FLAC lossless files.