Kronos Quartet's latest album, Floodplain, is out today. On the album, with its original arrangements of traditional music and newly commissioned pieces, the Quartet explores vintage pop from Egypt, folk from Azerbaijan, electronica from a Palestinian music collective, and an ambitious piece from Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov.

The Independent (UK) gives the album four stars. "Kronos Quartet's reputation as the cutting-edge string quartet of their era has enabled them to take greater chances, and break more boundaries, than groups tied to a more timid view of the 'correct' classical repertoire," reads the review. On the new album, "The quartet's exploratory approach serves them well ... A one-world project handled with suitably welcoming passion and respect."

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The Oregonian's David Stabler says the evocative metaphor of the album's title is an apt one for this adventurous group. "A floodplain is a fertile area of land periodically refreshed by rising water that leaves behind soil, sand, gravel or loamy stuff," he explains. "Think of Floodplain as creative fertility, as only Kronos can do."

Preceding a track-by-track analysis of the album, Stabler writes:

With 45-plus recordings over 30 years, we've come to expect the unexpected from Kronos, but Floodplain has a wildness about it that is especially impassioned and unpredictable. It feels unusually current, even politically current, with music from parts of the world we often only read about. That's what we love about this string quartet: playing that is exploratory, fearless and full of intent. I recommend it highly.

To read the complete review and Stabler's thoughts on each of the tracks on Floodplain, visit oregonlive.com.