Davie at Electric studios. Calligrapher Haji Noor Deen wrote Williams' first name in Arabic on the album cover. Composition Matt Collar of AllMusic described The Return as a "psychedelia-dipped" jazz-funk record that incorporates EDM and hip-hop. He additionally said that the band are capable of "dropping bass- and keyboard-heavy hooks, rhythm section motifs that sound like the intros, and hot mid-sections", similar to that of George Duke, Herbie Hancock, and Eddie Henderson. The album employs a "a more laid back, funk-soaked sound" in contrast to the "darker edge" of Black Focus, according to Angus McKeon of Clash. John Paul of PopMatters writes that "the album's back half tends to lessen the tempos and allow for greater washes of synth to blanket the incessant rhythmic prowess on display". The first track "Salaam" has "watery keys and a groove that starts slow before working itself up to a bustling climax"; as "MckNasty quickens the tempo, Martin strings together galloping phrases, and Williams begins making his own runs". For the next track "Broken Theme", it has "off-kilter drums and keys" that "snap into line" every few seconds later. The string-arrangement of the title track was compared to Jon Brion's work on Late Registration by Kanye West. Its "powerful strings build to a tantalising crescendo" and transitions to funk driven song "High Roller". The fifth track "Situations" was recorded during a live performance in Milan. For "Catch the Loop", the track uses breakbeat sounds with "a series of vintage synth stabs", its rhythm then "lessens to a lock-step, club-footed march". "Rhythm Commission" is "a slowly evolving groove that, by track's end, has blossomed into a gloriously funky exercise in rhythmic precision". For "Medina", the track has a 3/4 rhythm "Williams developing melodic motifs on top". The ninth track "LDN Shuffle" features guitar soloing from Mansur Brown compared to that of Allan Holdsworth. The closing track "Aisha" is a minimalist track that has layers of "ambient synth pads". Release and promotion The Return was released on 25 May 2018 under Williams' own label Black Focus Records. The album topped the UK Jazz & Blues chart, while it marked Williams' first entry in the Official Albums Chart at number 63. In the country's Independent Albums Chart, it ranked at number 5. The album reached number 82 in the Scottish Albums Chart. The album debuted in the US Top Jazz Albums chart at number 3. In the