Private stock is the whiskey that the distiller keeps for themselves. In this case, Private Stock is a personal, thoughtful set of songs from New Orleans rapper Cavalier. This album is rangy, almost pretty at times, angry at others, weary at a world that feels like it’s falling apart. The beats are soulful and woozy, with snappy drums. Cavalier is a dextrous rhymer, with an eye for detail and an ear for hooks that don’t feel like he’s trying too hard. This couplet, from the track “Doro Wat,” feels like something close to a thesis statement: “This ain’t me so-so shit rhyming on a drum/ This is me photosynthesizing with the sun.”