On ‘Shine,’ the two singer-songwriters go beyond solid songs, creating a captivating album that mirrors the work of another famous songwriting duo.
Read moreLianne La Havas Seizes Creative Control on Transcendent Third Album ‘Lianne La Havas’ | Album Review
If this truly is a full portrait of the artist, then it reveals an artist freed from the shackles of following anyone else’s imprint for her career. Freedom looks good on Lianne La Havas.
Read moreS.G. Goodman Merges Nostalgia with Progressive Ideas on Dynamic Debut ‘Old Time Feeling’ | Album Review
Together with producer Jim James (of My Morning Jacket fame), the Kentucky-bred singer-songwriter has crafted a compelling, cohesive set of nuanced ideas and exceptional songs.
Read moreArt Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ Unearthed ‘Just Coolin’’ Elevates the Ensemble’s Untouchable Legacy | Album Review
While never eclipsing the era-defining ‘Moanin,’’ this previously shelved album offers further testament to what may be hard bop’s finest group doing what they do best.
Read moreEgo Ella May Embodies the Healing Power of Music on Dynamic Debut ‘Honey For Wounds’ | Album Review
The South Londoner’s debut is revealing of a multi-faceted force to be reckoned with. Not at some point in the future, but right now.
Read moreJessie Ware Returns in Impeccable Form with Scintillating ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ | Album Review
As with Ware’s three albums prior to her fantastic fourth, she casts a wholly singular aural space accessible to everyone—the loyalists, the uninitiated. But now, she’s totally in sync with her power.
Read moreJapandroids Elevate Their Dynamic Sound, Capture the Magic of Live Performance on ‘Massey F**king Hall' | Album Review
Japandroids keep close to their studio work, mostly playing with the intensity of the performance and occasionally inserting some of their rhythmic jamming, which can be positively hypnotic.
Read moreCountry Westerns Transcend Their Name with Eclectic, Electrifying Eponymous Debut | Album Review
The most striking thing about Country Westerns’ self-titled debut is their crafting of a perfectly balanced mix of pop, grunge, ‘70s punk, and just the right hit of country.
Read moreSAULT’s Powerful ‘Untitled (Black Is)’ Embodies the Soul, Spirit & Sanctity of Revolution | Album Review
The titles on SAULT’s ‘Untitled (Black Is)’ reveal the narrative at play and the scope of its ambitions, fully realized through a dazzling distillation of the constituent elements of soul and hip-hop.
Read moreBob Dylan’s ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ Magnifies the Enduring Mystery Behind His Words | Album Review
The music is almost simple, mostly acoustic with thick blues stuffed in every wrinkle. Dylan doesn’t sing. It’s poetic delivery that plants every sentence firmly in the ground.
Read morePhoebe Bridgers Floats in Unsettled Space on Magnificent, Melancholic ‘Punisher’ | Album Review
While the author can’t say he was prepared for ‘Punisher’ to ask as much of him as it did, he’s still moved by it, unsettled by it, and captivated by it.
Read moreNeil Young Resurrects Long-Lost ‘Homegrown’ From the Vaults and It’s Well Worth the Wait | Album Review
‘Homegrown’ was recorded during the same two years as ‘On The Beach’ (1974) and ‘Tonight’s The Night’ (1975), and sonically, the three records are sisters. But each tells its own story.
Read moreRun the Jewels Encapsulate the Zeitgeist of America on the Brink with ‘RTJ4’ | Album Review
The fourth album by the team of Killer Mike and El-P couldn’t have arrived in a more timely and topical manner. It’s raw, politically charged, aggressive, and confrontational.
Read moreNorah Jones Navigates The Darkness And The Light On ‘Pick Me Up Off The Floor’ | Album Review
Jones reinforces once again that somewhere in the darkness, uncertainty and disillusionment we feel, music can heal and imitate life.
Read moreLady Gaga’s Captivating, Cathartic ‘Chromatica’ Emodies the Powr of Music to Heal and Inspire | Album Review
‘Chromatica’ harks back to Lady G’s dance floor driven roots, while proving to be yet another feather in her already incredibly accomplished “cap” of artistry.
Read moreThe Harmed Brothers Craft Arresting Anthems for Broken Souls on ‘Across The Waves’ | Album Review
‘Across The Waves’ finds the band rethinking many of the assumptions of Springsteen's older music, while also embracing many of his familiar elements.
Read moreTeddy Thompson Redefines What a Break-Up Record Sounds Like with Inspired ‘Heartbreaker Please’ | Album Review
Who else could make a break-up record that's deep and sad lyrically, right down to its title, but musically feels like a skip through the park on a beautiful day?
Read moreMoses Sumney Expands and Emboldens His Creative Scope with ‘græ’ | Album Review
The ‘græ’ of the title is a nod to the in-between states that Sumney exists in and his resolute refusal to be put into a box of anyone’s making.
Read moreThe 1975’s Expansive ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ Is A Disorienting Yet Ultimately Rewarding Trip | Album Review
The band’s fourth studio affair is a grab bag of sonics that is as muddled and multifaceted as frontman Matt Healy’s introvert-extrovert existence.
Read moreCarly Rae Jepsen Synthesizes Her Extraordinary Range of Ideas and Influences on Dazzling ‘Dedicated Side B’ | Album Review
With ‘Dedicated Side B,’ the charismatic Carly Rae Jepsen proves yet again that the art of genuine songcraft is very much alive and well in the pop genre.
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