4 ▁stars ▁stating ▁" S ong ways ▁is ▁European ▁jazz ▁root ed ▁deep ▁in ▁the ▁Italian ▁tradition : ▁it ▁we ars ▁both ▁its ▁classic ism ▁and ▁post - v angu ard ▁ly ric ism ▁plain ly , ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁creating ▁a ▁de ft , ▁instinct ive , ▁and ▁highly ▁expression istic ▁music ". ▁ ▁The ▁Pop Mat ters ▁review ▁by ▁John ▁G arr att ▁stated ▁" S ong ways ▁is ▁am orph ously ▁ter r ific . ▁It ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁a ▁jazz ▁or ▁classical ▁release , ▁but ▁it ’ s ▁one ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 3 ’ s ▁best ▁so ▁far ". ▁ ▁The ▁All ▁About ▁Jazz ▁review ▁by ▁John ▁Kel man ▁said ▁that ▁" S ong ways ▁capital izes ▁on ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁a ▁tri o ▁that ' s ▁been ▁hon ing ▁its ▁craft ▁in ▁multiple ▁context s ▁for ▁eight ▁years , ▁finding ▁beauty ▁in ▁every ▁no ok ▁and ▁c ran ny ▁even ▁as ▁it ▁es ch ew s ▁the ▁obvious , ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁h one ▁its ▁prof ound ly ▁lyr ical ▁language ▁with ▁music ▁that ▁pain ts ▁v ivid ▁pictures ▁and ▁ev okes ▁cin ematic ▁land sc apes , ▁encourag ing ▁the ▁imagination ▁to ▁run ▁where ▁it ▁will ". ▁ ▁The ▁Jazz Times ▁review ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Con rad ▁said ▁" S ong ways ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pre tt iest ▁piano ▁tri o ▁albums ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁mill en ni um ... ▁In ▁jazz , ▁“ pre tty ” ▁is ▁often ▁an ▁ad jective ▁that ▁dam ns