On his latest long player, the legendary emcee plays to his strengths as an artist, sounding as confident and self-assured as he’s ever been and every bit of the verbal assassin he was in the mid-1990s.
Read moreAlicia Keys’ Artistic Dynamism Permeates Throughout Brilliantly Constructed ‘KEYS’ | Album Review
Keys’ excellent eighth studio affair reminds us that it is, indeed, only by facing challenging truths, unresolved emotions and struggles that we can liberate our inner determination and resilience.
Read moreKenny Lattimore’s ‘Here To Stay’ Advances His Artistry While Preserving His Proven Creative Pedigree | Album Review
Though contemporary R&B can split fans into factions of old school vs. the new, Lattimore’s embrace of evolution in the genre makes for a thrilling symbiosis in the studio.
Read moreDamon Albarn Expands His Musical Imagination with ‘The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows’ | Album Review
With the follow-up to 2014’s ‘Everyday Robots,’ Albarn looks to have finally captured the desired elemental muse.
Read moreElbow Soar to Stirring, Sanguine Heights on Exultant ‘Flying Dream 1’ | Album Review
Elbow’s ninth studio album captures the quartet arguably in a less troubled, more grateful state of mind, taking stock of the brighter sides of life in 2021.
Read moreAdele Couples Her Signature Sound with Signs of Nuanced Creative Directions to Come on ‘30’ | Album Review
There’s no doubt you won’t be able to escape Adele’s fourth studio affair over the next year as it’s played, well, everywhere. But the truth is, you won’t mind it.
Read moreRosie Lowe & Duval Timothy’s Passion for Musical Adventurism Is Beautiful to Behold on Stunning ‘Son’ | Album Review
Lowe & Timothy’s highly recommended collaborative project ‘Son’ is in stores now courtesy of Carrying Colour.
Read moreDiana Ross’ ‘Thank You’ Is a Solid Yet Stunted Affair That Only Hints at What Could (and Should) Have Been | Album Review
Whilst diehard fans will appreciate her overly purposeful messages throughout the album, intended or not, it’s hard to ignore the very familiar sound of a bygone era on a number of the tracks.
Read moreWith Clarity and Compassion, Aimee Mann Explores the Multiple Dimensions of Trauma on ‘Queens of the Summer Hotel’ | Review
On her tenth LP, Mann’s explores not just the reality of human fragility, but also, and importantly, how we can summon the courage to carry on through our darkest times.
Read moreTori Amos Examines the Waves of Human Emotion, Empathy and Endurance on ‘Ocean to Ocean’ | Album Review
The broad spectrum—indeed the tidal waves—of emotion that drives the thematic substance of these eleven songs arguably connect on a more universal level than any of Amos’ previous LPs.
Read moreDuran Duran Triumph as Masters of Modern Pop Experimentation on ‘FUTURE PAST’ | Album Review
The group’s fifteenth studio affair accomplishes their mission: to craft an immersive album that will flourish now but endure later.
Read moreScrimshire Embraces a Powerful Humility and Humanity on ‘Nothing Feels Like Everything’ | Album Review
Scrimshire’s sixth studio affair finds him grappling with the state of the world over the last 18 months in ways that are new to his canon.
Read moreColdplay Shoot for the Stars, Traverse the Pop Galaxy on ‘Music of the Spheres’ | Album Review
With their ninth studio album, Chris Martin and company bring together all of the elements that have kept them feeding us earworms for the past two decades.
Read moreEgo Ella May Offers a Poignant Peek Into Her Conscience with Intimate and Inspired ‘FIELDNOTES’ EP | Review
Artwork: Jelani Pomell
These four songs confirm what a talent Ego Ella May is and act as an appetizer for whatever may come next.
Read moreThe Du-Rites’ Distinctive Brand of Funk Flows and Flourishes on ‘Pressure’ EP | Review
Amidst the challenges of COVID, the duo of J-Zone & Pablo Martin have avoided creative complacency, in favor of getting stronger as a musical unit.
Read moreNatalie Imbruglia Returns Reinvigorated and Resplendent with ‘Firebird’ | Album Review
Having fielded triumph and difficulty in equal measure, Imbruglia rises like the namesake of her record, stronger and more focused in her artistic aim than ever before.
Read moreYebba Embodies Substance and Style in Equal Measure on Deeply Affecting Debut ‘Dawn’ | Album Review
Despite a handful of top-notch guest slots, there is no doubting whose party this is—Yebba’s voice dominates proceedings from beginning to end.
Read moreHalsey Traverses an Empowering Journey of Self with Raw, Resonant ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power' | Album Review
With their fourth studio affair, Halsey embraces a transitional moment to shed their skin and reveal themselves as the artist they were always destined to be.
Read moreKacey Musgraves Eloquently Examines the Vicissitudes of Love with Stunning ‘star-crossed’ | Album Review
Musgraves’ fifth studio affair unfolds as an acutely introspective album that effectively straddles the lines between the personal and conceptual.
Read moreSaint Etienne’s ‘I’ve Been Trying To Tell You’ Is an Immersive, Poignant Paean to the Comforts and Complexities of Memory
Saint Etienne possess a proven penchant for crafting songs and visuals that stimulate the heart, mind and soul, and their tenth studio affair holds true to their well-established blueprint.
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