Kevin Bronson on November 2nd, 2020

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Daniel Lanois — he of 11 Grammy awards and, as Rolling Stone says, a man whose “unmistakable fingerprints are all over an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” — returns to his roots-music roots for his new album “Heavy Sun,” arriving next April.

“We want to lift people’s spirits with this music,” says Lanois, best known for his production work with U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and Neil Young and also a formidable composer of ambient music and soundtracks. “It’s so easy to feel isolated right now, but we want everyone to feel included in what we’re doing.”

The project finds the Silver Lake-based Canadian teaming up with guitarist Rocco DeLuca, organist Johnny Shepherd and bassist Jim Wilson. All four share vocal duties on the album, which was made in L.A. and Toronto.

Shepherd sings lead on the first single “(Under the) Heavy Sun,” and if there’s such a thing as “gospel dream-dub,” this is it. The vibe is strong. Think of it as the Sunday morning church service after a Saturday night spent with Lanois’ 2010 project featuring Trixie Whitley, Brian Blade and Daryl Johnson, Black Dub.

The shadow of COVID hangs heavy over the album. “Our goal was to be a force for good with these songs,” Lanois says. “We wanted to remind people not to let the world steal their joy, to remind them that even during a global pandemic, it’s our responsibility to protect our spirits and find ways to keep on dancing, keep on singing, keep on teaching, keep on loving.”

||| Watch: The video for “(Under the) Heavy Sun”