Robert Plant is a true example of a veteran in the music business. Constantly creating and redefining, the Led Zeppelin frontman’s 10th solo album, lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar is definitive proof of Plant’s sustainability. While some older artists (Plant is 66) have trouble breaking from their familiar sound (see Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen), The Ceaseless Roar explores a mixture of new and familiar musical terrains.

Plant has made headlines for criticizing former bandmate Jimmy Page for a lack of musical creativity since their Zeppelin days. While Page busily remixes and rereleases classic Zeppelin albums, not that we’re complaining, Plant has continued to push himself creatively. He earned a Grammy award for a collaboration with bluegrass artist Allison Krauss in 2008, and has drawn from all sorts of influences to continually produce new music.

lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar succeeds as an album for this very reason. The first album with his new band, The Sensational Shapeshifters, draws from African and world roots, all the while retaining the awe-inspiring power of Plant’s vocals. He may not be able to sing like he could in his twenties, but don’t let the man’s age fool you- he’s still Robert Plant. On slower ballads, like “A Stolen Kiss,” Plant’s vocals yearn with desperation and gloom. On faster tunes, like “Turn It Up,” Plant’s voice is a triumphant, yet subdued, expression of all things rock and roll.

The songs feature a diverse array of instrumentation, opening with a kologo (an African banjo-derivative) included in a rendition of the folk standard “Little Maggie.” Of course, the guitar is featured, but its use is punctuated. Unlike the heavy guitarwork of Zeppelin, on The Ceaseless Roar, the guitar is just one of many emotive tools. Percussion is prevalent on a handful of tunes, including “Poor Howard” and “Turn It Up.” Some Eastern string instruments are used as well, wading through quarter step tones to deliver an exotic edge.

When Rolling Stone pressed Plant about his disinterest in a Led Zeppelin reunion, Plant said, “Do you know why the Eagles reunited? It wasn’t for the money. It was because they were bored. I’m not bored.” lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar is surefire evidence of this claim. The album flows like a river, with sincerely intriguing tides at every turn. This is a fantastic album; one that is sure to be discussed for many years to come.

Check out “Rainbow” for a taste of this album’s sound.

-David Melamed (@DMelamz)