On his thirteenth studio affair, the legendary emcee links up with one of the most talented beatmakers in the game (Hit-Boy) to craft beautiful canvasses to depict his great war stories.
Read moreBillie Eilish’s Creative Growth Manifests Throughout Elegantly Executed ‘Happier Than Ever’ | Album Review
Whilst Eilish’s debut straddled addiction, self-harm and mental health, her examination of fame and all its many layered vices are front and center across her follow-up effort.
Read morePrince’s Inspired ‘Welcome 2 America’ Is a Salient, Stirring Examination of the Country's Enduring Flaws | Album Review
For whatever reason Prince decided to shelve it, ‘Welcome 2 America’ is a satisfying and inspiring collection of songs that deserves its moment in the sun.
Read moreJoel Culpepper Delivers Thoughtful, Thrilling Modern Soul Statement with Debut Album ‘Sgt Culpepper’ | Album Review
The album’s title is an obvious sign of Culpepper’s confidence—you don’t invite those links to be made if you’re unsure, even if comparisons are not necessarily the motivation.
Read moreWith Unparalleled Sincerity and Substance, Dave Solidifies His Place Among the Lyrical Elite with ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ | Album Review
One of the hardest aspects of reviewing Dave’s second album is to single out individual lines for consumption—he is consistently excellent, always impassioned and extremely intelligent.
Read moreLaura Mvula’s ‘Pink Noise’ Is a Striking, Self-Assured Manifesto of Her Many Musical Charms | Album Review
Mvula’s third studio affair reinforces that, once again, she refuses to be constrained by others’ expectations, and why should she be? She has the goods and then some.
Read morePrinnie Stevens Honors Her Musical Influences with Reverence and Grace on ‘Lady Sings the Blues Vol. 1’ | Album Review
Stevens pays homage to an eclectic array of artists like Billie Holiday, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton and Mahalia Jackson.
Read moreHiatus Kaiyote Refine Their Distinctive, Genre-Fluid Sound on Inspired ‘Mood Valiant’ | Album Review
Hiatus Kaiyote’s third studio affair adds to the array of styles they have mastered and shows a group unbowed but inspired by the hardships they have faced.
Read moreSAULT Elevate the Personal Dimensions of Their Powerful, Collective Voice on Revelatory ‘Nine’ | Album Review
To move both hips and minds—as SAULT have consistently done and do again here—is to hit the sweetest of spots, which can be world-changing.
Read moreWesley Joseph Unleashes a Multitude of Musical Gifts on Impressive Debut Project ‘ULTRAMARINE’ | Review
At a brief 26 minutes, ‘ULTRAMARINE’ proves to be a sampler of what Joseph is capable of and it shows that the sky is the limit.
Read moreGarbage’s ‘No Gods No Masters’ Is a Powerful Musical Statement for the Here and Now | Album Review
Garbage’s seventh studio affair is already unique in the band’s canon because it tasks its audiences to be the change they wish to see via its content.
Read moreMustafa Triumphs with Revelatory, Emotionally Resonant Debut ‘When Smoke Rises’ | Album Review
Mustafa’s debut album offers an emotionally bold counterpoint to so much of the violent narrative that started with the blues and continued through musical traditions into rap music.
Read moreMARINA’s Artistic Dynamism and Dexterity Radiate on ‘Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land’ | Album Review
A proper journey into the record reveals a union between both halves of Diamandis’ artistic self: the lively diva and the subtle chanteuse.
Read moreSeinabo Sey Delivers a Soothing Sedative for the Soul with Her ‘Sweet Life’ EP | Review
Though slight in length (just 4 tracks lasting barely 12 minutes), Sey manages to convincingly convey a calm that lasts beyond the listening experience.
Read moreWolf Alice’s Versatility and Vitality Coalesce in Glorious Ways on Brilliant ‘Blue Weekend’ | Album Review
Competent, confident and captivating, Wolf Alice’s third LP showcases their penchant and passion for stretching their sound while further solidifying their distinctive musical identity.
Read moreWith Nothing to Prove, Liz Phair’s ‘Soberish’ Nevertheless Proves That Her Songs Are as Enthralling as Ever | Review
Well worth the extended wait, Phair’s seventh album represents the work of an accomplished, confident artist at peace with her place in the world, free to craft the songs she alone wishes to make.
Read moreTexas Elevate Their Penchant for Musical Adventurism and Superior Songcraft with Ravishing ‘Hi’ | Album Review
Texas is in red-hot form on ‘Hi’—ten records in and they’ve lost none of their artistic drive or technical proficiency that assisted in setting them apart from the crowd back in 1989.
Read moreSons of Kemet Deliver an Inspired and Incisive Musical Statement with ‘Black to the Future’ | Album Review
The group’s fourth studio affair pushes slightly further into the collective musical conscience of music fans beyond the boundaries of jazz, courtesy of its exceptionally well-judged guest spots.
Read moreRóisín Murphy & Richard Barratt’s Symbiotic Musical Vision Radiates on Transformative ‘Crooked Machine’ | Album Review
Every track on the album resides somewhere between divine and unique, while many of the reimagined compositions are just as captivating here as in their original forms.
Read moreMorcheeba Push Their Sterling Sound Forward on Enthralling, Elegantly Crafted ‘Blackest Blue’ | Album Review
An album meant to be experienced in its entirety, Morcheeba’s tenth studio affair finds Skye Edwards & Ross Godfrey elevating their respective lyrical, vocal and musical strengths to wondrous effect.
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