The title of Emerson Bruno’s new full-length record, Sounds for the Restless Mind, could be taken a couple ways. Either it’s billing itself as a soundtrack for unease and anxiety, something that replicates a discordant inner life in music. As such, it would be fair to expect jittery rhythms, sharp-edged progressions, and jarring dynamics. Conversely, the title could signal a salve for these symptoms: soothing, calming, reassuring music in familiar modes. Bruno and his band are decidedly the latter: this is an album full of songs that explore tried-and-true genres, pulled off with such expertise and effortless skill as to sound immediately familiar.

Across its twelve songs, Sounds for the Restless Mind explores the edges of Americana without ever fully indulging in experimentation. Starting off with the jammy bluegrass shuffle of “Fade into Grey,” the album moves steadily into down-home rock territory. Third track “Light of Day” is a full-throated rocker, equipped with tasty riffage and slithering leads. “Toledo” blends Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac vibes with Black Keys-esque bravado, resulting in an album highlight. The middle of the album settles into peppy folk rock a-las Ray LaMontagne, with Bruno’s strong-yet-pleasant vocals guiding the melodies to their reassuring resolutions.

The production is lush and professional. Every sound is ideally captured and mixed, and the overall balance sounds perfect. There’s a breadth of instrumentation across the record, each song seeming to implement new elements to distinguish them from one another, while remaining rooted to the guitar/bass/keys/drums foundation. But while lesser players may lean on soundscapes alone to differentiate one song from another, these songs are written with intentionality, and each with a different aim. Tempos shift, picking patterns manipulate rhythms, drumbeats adjust. Take “The Nature of Business,” where a standard progression is made progressive through off-timed hi-hats and guitar plucks, or the harmonizing leads and odd time signatures in late-album rocker “Made for You.” This is chef’s kiss songwriting and even better musicianship.

If there’s anything to criticize about the album, it’s that it may lack a clear narrative arc. Each song stands alone, and they sound great together, but when the album is over it doesn’t feel like we’ve gone anywhere. But perhaps that’s the point: when your mind is restless, what you need is something to help you calm down, stay still, and feel alright wherever you are.