Swift’s seventh studio affair will leave audiences with the understanding that this project is far from a retreat into established comforts, rather the pop superstar is taking stock of her legacy, so far.
Read moreMichaela Anne Shines on Soaring, Stirring ‘Desert Dove’ | Album Review
Anne has a voice capable of soaring through songs, and while it feels like she's of the clouds, she is, like all of us, on terra firma.
Read moreKeane’s ‘Cause and Effect’ Eloquently Examines Matters (and Mistakes) of the Heart | Album Review
The band’s fifth studio affair unfurls as an elegant and adult concept album about the demolition of a romantic relationship and how its rippling wake knocks you off balance.
Read moreThe Brand New Heavies Cement Their Class Act Status with ‘TBNH’ | Album Review
Not that the Heavies ever left, but they are most definitely back with a corker of an album that will appeal to their most ardent of fans and a new generation of listeners alike.
Read moreLiam Gallagher’s Vital, Vibrant Voice Radiates on Soul-Affirming ‘Why Me? Why Not.’ | Album Review
Gallagher’s expanded role in the creation of his second solo affair suggests a growing composure coupled with an emboldened introspection as a songwriter.
Read moreBat for Lashes’ ‘Lost Girls’ Finds Natasha Khan’s Musical Imagination in Fine, Fascinating Form | Album Review
Deeply set in the nostalgia of American ‘80s sci-fi and pop, Natasha Khan’s fifth studio affair most definitely feels like her female riposte to the 1987 cult film ‘The Lost Boys.’
Read moreLana Del Rey Triumphs on Imaginative, Soul-Stirring ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell!’ | Album Review
A carefully created and curated piece of musical history, Del Rey’s sixth studio affair—an album comprised of many dimensions and layers—speaks to those eager to listen.
Read moreCommon Celebrates Love’s Many Manifestations on Ruminative ‘Let Love’ | Album Review
While not quite a companion piece or concept album, seven of the LP’s eleven songs contain “love” in their titles and abbreviated takes on the motifs of Common’s recently released memoir.
Read moreBlu & Damu The Fudgemunk Showcase Their Compelling Chemistry on ‘Ground & Water’ | Album Review
‘Ground & Water’ brings out the best in both Blu and Damu, who stretch their artistic legs without compromising what makes them distinct.
Read moreRapsody Explores the Dynamism of the Black Female Experience with Eloquence, Empathy & Grace on ‘Eve’ | Album Review
Rapsody does slick wordplay and callbacks better than nearly anyone, and this album is full of rewindable rhymes and lines that will take multiple careful listens to decipher.
Read moreWith More Than a Little Help From Her Friends, Sheryl Crow Captivates on ‘Threads’ | Album Review
On her eleventh studio LP, Crow welcomes a host of compelling collaborators including Chuck D, Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, St. Vincent, and Chris Stapleton.
Read moreShura Crafts a Powerful Paean to Love & Romance with Revelatory ‘forevher’ | Album Review
Full of optimism and romance, Shura has co-written every song on the album and exposed herself in a candid, vulnerable way the wider LGBTQ community all too often takes for granted.
Read moreTanya Tucker Breathes New, Radiant & Resilient Life Into Her Musical Legacy with ‘While I’m Livin’’ | Album Review
The country music matriarch has emerged on her twenty-fifth studio album with equal parts grit and grace. As lovers, searchers and consumers of good music, we are the better for it.
Read moreLittle Brother Reconvene in Top, Triumphant Form with ‘May The Lord Watch’ | Album Review
‘May The Lord Watch’ sounds precisely like the Little Brother album that they would have recorded if they had never broken up in the first place.
Read moreP.P. Arnold’s Majestic Voice Soars Once Again on ‘The New Adventures Of… P.P. Arnold’ | Album Review
P.P. Arnold & Steve Cradock’s musical partnership, forged over 25 years, engenders a trust between them that shines throughout the album.
Read moreRaphael Saadiq’s ‘Jimmy Lee’ Is a Powerful Soliloquy for Our Troubled Times | Album Review
On his fifth studio affair, Saadiq freewheels, offering up a variation in tone and style that has not been readily displayed on his past solo ventures.
Read moreThe Hold Steady Traverse a Few Too Many Twists & Turns on Patchwork ‘Thrashing Thru the Passion’ | Album Review
While the band’s structural experimentation could be fun, in very few instances does it feel necessary or even authentic across the duration of their seventh studio album.
Read moreBon Iver Summon Their Signature Strain of Enigmatic Musical Magic Once Again with ‘i,i’ | Album Review
The band’s fourth studio LP is yet another installment in a series of never-ending layers that are labyrinthine upon close inspection and, from a distance, so simple and clear.
Read moreMurs, 9th Wonder & The Soul Council Congregate for Solid ‘The Iliad Is Dead And The Odyssey Is Over’ | Album Review
Despite a few shortcomings, ‘The Iliad Is Dead And The Odyssey is Over’ is another solid addition to the Murs & 9th Wonder canon.
Read moreThe HawtThorns Triumph on Radiant, Distinctive Debut Album ‘Morning Sun’ | Album Review
Ultimately, the HawtThorns’ gift is how they make songs sound pretty. They do it in a variety of ways. Their arrangements. KP's vocals. And their gorgeous sense of melody.
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