Bust out the box fans and sweet tea — the sons of Southern soul, Widespread Panic, are back with an oasis of chilly, wet awesomeness that’s been brewing for nine years. Snake Oil King is a high-octane, six-pack of tunes that slings a dizzying blend of Panic’s swagger and gritty-hooked storytelling that quenches the ears and fans the soul.

From first splash, Panic brings the party with the funk-laden blues jam, “We Walk Each Other Home.” The rockin’ raft of Widespread’s effortless wonder floats from track to track, and the signature harmonic and lazy-hazy vocal blend of lead singer John Bell and keyboardist JoJo Herman can be found on the back-porch-groove ditty, “Tackle Box Hero.”

As the lush-layered arrangements of “Snake Oil King” drift into a Lowcountry sunset, the album appropriately wraps with “Small Town,” a big-splash melodic sizzler that brings it all home with a misty waterfall of dreamy Panic bliss to instantly calm the bark of these dog days.

With a Widespread celebratory toast to their classic formula, the hollerin’ sons of Athens, GA strike all the familiar chords for the die-hards and open the floodgate for newbies to devour and come back for seconds.

This isn’t just an album; it’s a triple-scoop masterpiece of emotion-commotion with a jammin’ ice-cream truck full of surprises.

– Chris Rucker