Aja

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen used a large cast of session musicians to make Aja's seven songs feel remarkably controlled. Jazz harmonies and carefully placed instrumental parts support stories whose calm delivery often conceals unease. The record's clean sound makes the smallest changes in rhythm easy to follow.

The title track gives Steve Gadd and Wayne Shorter room to push against that precision. “Deacon Blues” takes a more measured route, letting its melody and narrative unfold slowly. Both show how much movement sits beneath the album's polished surface.