“I better slow down ‘cause a soul can’t travel that fast,” Oliver Wood sings during “Pilgrim,” the opening number on The Wood Brothers’ eighth studio album, Heart Is the Hero. It’s a sentiment that shines throughout the 10-track set, a collection that continues to affirm that the trio are one of the best working roots acts today. Nothing here is very flashy—and that’s the vibe The Wood Brothers have cultivated over the years. Standouts include the slow, oozy “Far From Alone,” a story that touches on dreaming, cheap cologne and how bar rats will always make you feel like you have somebody: “You may be lost but you’re so far from alone,” Oliver croons with a big, building passion, while horns come in to punctuate. “Line Those Pockets” is another standout that deviates from the guitar-bass-drums formula they’ve cultivated over the years; multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix sets the tempo with a repetitive keyboard line, while Chris Wood subtly adds deep bass lines. “Rollin’ On” blends some jazzy overtones with more rustic guitars, while Oliver declares, “Nothing I ever see ever brings me peace but me and you.” It’s one of the more beautiful moments of the album, pitting a relationship’s strength versus a troubled world. And that’s the keyword: pitting. The band has stated that this is an album about trusting your heart in matters you can’t control, and this sentiment is at the core of every song, sometimes obvious, sometimes not. It’s a notion that makes a perfect throughline for an album that’s simple in its presentation. Trust is a good thing, and The Wood Brothers find that as a guiding force it works as a rather gorgeous thing.