Though much of Hawthorne’s debut LP finds him paying tribute to the soul greats that preceded him, he injects enough of his own identity that it’s not just an exercise in nostalgia.
Read moreThe Magnetic Fields’ ’69 Love Songs’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
The most impressive facet of the three-hour, three-disc 69 Love Songs is not how many genres it covers, but how it manages to be both ironic and heartfelt at the same time.
Read moreYoung MC’s Debut Album ‘Stone Cold Rhymin’’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
With his inaugural LP most universally known for its once-ubiquitous single “Bust a Move,” Young MC maximized his potential and made feel-good music that could be enjoyed by all.
Read moreRobert Palmer’s Debut Solo Album ‘Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley’ Turns 50 | Album Anniversary
Despite being recorded in three different studios in three different locations (New York, New Orleans, and Nassau), Palmer’s solo debut is a cohesive album that is solid all the way through.
Read moreUGK’s ‘Super Tight…’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
If UGK’s third album ‘Ridin’ Dirty’ found the duo on the cusp of national stardom, ‘Super Tight’ feels and sounds like it comes from a more honest and down-to-earth place.
Read moreManic Street Preachers’ ‘The Holy Bible’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
Despite its dour worldview, antagonistic posture, and, at the time of its release in the summer of 1994, quite poor sales, ‘The Holy Bible’ has been recast as a triumph of extreme art.
Read moreAdeva’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Adeva!’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Although ‘Adeva!’ was deemed “deep house” by many, it would be unjust to deny what this style of music truly is at its core: soul music.
Read moreSouls of Mischief’s ‘Adrian Younge Presents: There Is Only Now’ Turns 10 | Album Anniversary
Despite the high degree of difficulty that goes into creating a cohesive concept album, Souls of Mischief & Younge brought their A-game here, producing an album that’s both entertaining and enduring.
Read moreMeshell Ndegeocello’s ‘Bitter’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
An album that can only be listened to once the sun has dropped and the phone is off the hook, ‘Bitter’ is beautiful and cruelly barbed at the same time. A heady brew.
Read moreInsight’s ‘The Blast Radius’ Turns 20 | Album Anniversary
A work of largely unheralded greatness, Insight’s third studio affair demonstrates the premium he places on thoughtful content and construction.
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