‘Whatever It Takes’ leaves you with the feeling that you’ve left this tumultuous world behind—if only for half an hour—lost in the transportable power of good music.
Read moreFirst Aid Kit Craft Sterling, Subdued Suite of Songs with ‘Ruins’ | Album Review
‘Ruins’ may not recapture the intensity of its 2014 precursor ‘Stay Gold,’ but its strength lays in the duo’s swooning vocals and lyrical romance.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Dave East Finds Redemption, Embraces New Life on ‘Paranoia 2’
‘P2’ as a whole is more than a long exercise in nostalgia. It's another big step for Dave East as he works to be an influential force for future rappers in his own right.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Four Decades & Fourteen Albums On, U2’s Perspective Evolves with ‘Songs of Experience’
‘Songs of Experience’ stays true to U2’s narrative, while providing a more evolved perspective than its companion-piece LP, ‘Songs of Innocence’ (2014).
Read moreREVIEW: Stono Echo Craft Jewel of a Debut with ‘Black Diamonds’
The pairing of Paten Locke’s inventive production with Jay Myztroh’s soulful vocals and adept instrumentation works wonders on the duo’s debut EP.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: The Bronx Reignite Their Explosive Songcraft on ‘V’
Frontman Matt Caughthran’s brutal vocals are in fine form here, as he surfs over the band’s gnarly waves of west coast hardcore punk.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Jim James Gets Back to Basics with Natural, Sparse Covers Set ‘Tribute To 2’
James revisits these classics as if he's living in the moment of the songs’ original messages, as well as in the respective eras when they were made.
Read moreCharlotte Gainsbourg Bares Her Soul on Revelatory ‘Rest' | Album Review
Complex and accessible, ‘Rest’ is a beautiful album by a brilliant woman with impeccable taste. What more could you ask for?
Read more‘Soul of a Woman’ Offers Another Powerful Testament to Sharon Jones’ Musical Legacy | Album Review
‘Soul of a Woman’ is another triumph for a band that has amassed a respectable body of work and hopefully still has many more long players ahead of them.
Read moreBjörk’s ‘Utopia’ Aims for Transcendence, Achieves It in Abundance | Album Review
In a year that’s brought a political climate and news cycle that degrades, rather than elevates, the universe of Björk’s 'Utopia' is ascendant and cathartic.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: CyHi The Prynce Flexes His Creative Muscles on Debut LP ‘No Dope on Sundays’
CyHi’s debut long player may not be a flawless sermon, but it's enough for the gifted emcee and storyteller to grow his congregation.
Read moreTaylor Swift Sticks to Her Fruitful Formula on Solid ‘Reputation’ | Album Review
Savvy as ever, Swift’s sixth studio album contains undeniably catchy tracks that scratch a confessional itch in different flavors for every fan.
Read moreThe Corrs Achieve Career Peak on Fluid, Breathtaking ‘Jupiter Calling’ | Album Review
Supported by T Bone Burnett, the group’s distinctive blend of classic Irish aesthetics and modern pop/rock touches is at its most natural and relaxed here.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Grace VanderWaal’s Debut ‘Just The Beginning’ Augurs Big Things to Come
VanderWaal is relentlessly chipper, inquisitive and awed by her own little world. And lucky for us, it’s a fabulously sunny world to spend some time in.
Read moreMavis Staples Embodies Red, White & Blue Courage on ‘If All I Was Was Black’ | Album Review
A gilded songbird still singing wise words, Mavis Staples and her new album offer a steady, reassuring voice in these chaotic times.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Dynamic, Distinctive ‘Radio Silence’ Expands Talib Kweli’s Musical Legacy
‘Radio Silence’ demonstrates that after more than 20 years recording music, Kweli continues to strive to craft music that’s truly powerful and unique.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Lindstrøm Seizes His Strengths, Explores New Paths on ‘It’s Alright Between Us as It Is’
Despite the album’s disjointed feel at times, you need to give credit to the adventurous Lindstrøm for stepping outside of his comfort zone.
Read moreALBUM REVIEW: Problem Thrives on Varied, Self-Reflective Debut Solo Album ‘Selfish’
The Compton-bred emcee’s debut solo full-length album serves as an introduction to some fans, but ‘Selfish’ is more of a reinvention for Problem.
Read moreFever Ray’s ‘Plunge’ is a Haunting, Hyper and Honest Work of Art | Album Review
Nothing is romanticized on Fever Ray’s fantastic second studio LP. Instead it’s just honest, occasionally bleak, and irrefutably human.
Read moreGregory Porter Delivers a Divine, Honest Homage with ‘Nat "King" Cole & Me’ | Album Review
With his fifth studio album, Gregory Porter does Nat "King" Cole, as well as himself, proud with this incandescent tribute.
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