Raul Midón's upcoming Bad Ass and Blind album - the title a description of it's maker that soul icon Bill Withers endorsed - finds the artist expanding his range compositionally, tapping into the linear modal harmony explored by such jazz composers as Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. Album highlight "Wings of Mind" utilizes this technique with a sophistication that brings to mind jazz-savvy pop acts like Steely Dan. "As a listener, you don't need to know anything about the Phrygian or Dorian modes to get this music - it just sounds different, intriguing, and exotic."