I have all his albums, because I find his music intriguing, and I really like Mahanthappa (saw him live with Amir El-Saffar and it was beautiful--very emotionally moving if anyone thinks this scene is "Too smart for you"). One problem with all his previous albums, except maybe Mother Tongue, was that they felt like work to listen to. It might be a result of the CD-era tendency to make an album as long as possible. However, the new one actually is fun to listen to. It has melodies (kinda!), and it's more memorable than the other albums. This sounds like a backhanded compliment, I know. But give it a try.
I will say that I think the much-lauded Mike Ladd collaborations are TERRIBLE. I couldn't sell them back to the CD shop fast enough.