Allen Toussaint's final recording, American Tunes, was released last Friday to great critical acclaim, with the Los Angeles Times calling it "a rich pianistic tour de force of American music," and the Times of London exclaiming: "Swan songs don't get any better." You can read from many more such reviews here. Now, three new and noteworthy reviews have added their own accolades: NPR, the Associated Press, and Stereophile.

American Tunes adds "an elegant new perspective on Toussaint's legacy," says NPR's All Things Considered. It's "music informed by a sly sophistication," says NPR music critic Tom Moon in his review. Citing Toussaint's performance of the Paul Simon song for which the album is named, Moon concludes: "He sings it the same way he plays piano: gracefully, using understatement to devastating effect. That kind of poise is easy to overlook, but it's crucial to just about everything on this delightful survey of American tunes. And it's one of the qualities that made Allen Toussaint an American treasure."

You can listen to the complete review, including clips from the album, below.

The Associated Press calls this "an elegant and fitting adieu from the New Orleans master."

Reviewer Pablo Gorondi recommends Toussaint's take on Bill Evans's "Waltz for Debby," advising readers to "put it on 'repeat' and you won't stop smiling." He too calls attention to the title tune, saying: "Knowing it's a farewell, every line gains poignancy—from 'I'm just weary to my bones' to 'And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly'—even as his singing remains suitably understated."

Gorondi concludes: "Toussaint makes a fine final impression on American Tunes, a repertoire as rich as his own contributions to music over a nearly 60-year career."

You can read the full review at bigstory.ap.org.

Stereophile names American Tunes its Recording of the Month, giving it four-and-a-half stars for both performance and sound. "The album is a fantastic and esoteric tour through the Great American Songbook, as selected by the old master himself," exclaims reviewer Robert Baird. "There's a lightness and a masterful playfulness to the entire album that make it an appealing epilogue to Toussaint's career." You can find that review at stereophile.com.

To pick up a copy of American Tunes, head to iTunes, Amazon, or the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include an instant download of the complete album; the album is also available to purchase there in MP3, FLAC, 96kHz/24bit HD digital formats, and in a two-LP vinyl version, which includes three bonus tracks.