Comparisons to ‘Light Years’ (2000) are understandable, as ‘DISCO’ is just as engaging and showcases Minogue’s source synthetization to make her own unique sonic imprint.
Read moreMariah Carey’s ‘The Rarities’ Testifies to the Power and Permanence of Her Songcraft | Album Review
Coupled with the expansive vinyl reissue campaign Carey has recently embarked on with her back catalog, ‘The Rarities’ feels like an additional discographic treat.
Read moreKatie Melua Indulges Her Restless Creative Spirit on Intelligent, Imaginative ‘Album No. 8’ | Album Review & Interview
Melua’s eighth studio affair resumes the forward-thinking thrust that made both ‘The House’ (2010) and ‘In Winter’ (2016) so enthralling, but there is a newfound urgency and intention present.
Read moreTom Aspaul’s Debut Album ‘Black Country Disco’ Signifies the Arrival of a Vibrant New Voice in Modern Pop | Album Review
Tendered through his own indie-imprint 1609 Records, the album is a striking and fully realized recording unified across its tonal, sonic, and narrative quarters.
Read moreMelanie C Returns Invigorated and Liberated with Excellent, Eponymous Eighth Album 'Melanie C' | Review
In many respects, ‘Melanie C’ is an extension of the digital and pop-soul texturing emblematic of its precursor ‘Version of Me’ (2016), but with warmer aesthetics in place of the chillier ones.
Read moreRóisín Murphy’s Musical Magnetism Is Irrefutable on Career Watershed ‘Róisín Machine’ | Album Review
For all of the album’s affection for the past, collaborator Richard Barratt aids Murphy with his exacting production to ensure that the LP remains a modern-day affair.
Read moreBright Light Bright Light Orchestrates a Radiant, Revelatory Ride Through ‘Fun City’ | Album Review & Interview
“I wanted ‘Fun City’ to reflect everything that I feel about the LGBTQ+ experience—which is celebration, heartache, tragedy, jovial (moments), whimsical, comedy,” Thomas explains.
Read moreGloria Estefan Reimagines Her Revered Repertoire with Kinetic ‘Brazil305’ | Album Review
The common thread that brings everything together on this outing is Estefan’s passion for Brazilian, Bahian and South American sonic styles.
Read moreBrandy Embraces Substance Over Artifice, Delivers Watershed Moment with ‘B7’ | Album Review
With her seventh LP, Brandy proves that she has transcended the limitations of chart commerce to enter that rare breed of creatives that appeals to multiple generations of R&B devotees.
Read moreTaylor Swift Conjures Stories Destined to Endear and Endure for Generations to Come on ‘folklore’ | Album Review
The songs contained on ‘folklore’ are beautifully outlined by Swift’s voice, which has always been pleasantly competent, but here it displays a gracefulness and passion never heard before.
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 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.
Read moreDua Lipa Looks Back to Take a Giant Leap Forward with ‘Future Nostalgia’ | Album Review
There’s a genuine sense of joy and musical discovery that permeates every part of Lipa’s second album that not even the staunchest rock press pundit could disavow.
Read moreVanessa Carlton Fulfills Her Artistic Purpose with Career Pinnacle ‘Love Is An Art’ | Album Review
Eleven songs constitute the record and they all cohere into a beautiful whole, at the same time, each selection is unique and capable of standing on its own.
Read moreMandy Moore’s ‘Silver Landings’ Is An Unequivocal Triumph | Album Review
Though many of the songs that comprise Moore’s seventh studio album are bittersweet, they do yield an undertow of hope and knowledge gained too.
Read moreLisa Loeb Pulls Off ‘A Simple Trick To Happiness’ with Her Songcraft in Full Stride | Album Review
Operating as Loeb’s first collection of original material since ‘No Fairytale’ (2013), ‘A Simple Trick To Happiness’ finds the singer, songwriter and musician in excellent form once again.
Read moreSam Sparro Unites Pop Music’s Past, Present & Future on ‘Boombox Eternal’ | Album Review & Interview
“I’m really proud of ‘Boombox Eternal’,” Sparro reflects. “It’s my favorite body of work that I’ve done.”
Read moreTaylor Swift Constructs Another Masterclass of Pristine Pop Perfection with ‘Lover’ | Album Review
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 moreWill Young Seizes Upon His Strengths for Expertly Executed ‘Lexicon’ | Album Review
As it pertains to Young as an unconsciously soulful presence as a singer, he pairs his vocal instrument to these song scripts flawlessly.
Read moreMadonna’s Battle for Her Musical Identity Pervades ‘Madame X’ | Album Review
For Madonna in 2019, ‘Madame X’ is an intimidation tactic for the detractors and new kids on the block, a boastful display of modern pop might at the expense of anything else.
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