Staying true to Swift’s catalog, each track serves as a window into the turbulent psyche of its creator, delving into themes of love, loss, and existential angst with unwavering authenticity.
Read moreTaylor Swift Paints Vivid, Vulnerable Portraits with Lucid Lyrical Brushstrokes of ‘Midnights’ | Album Review
‘Midnights’ signals a new chapter for Swift, one more self-confident, but still authentic to the artist and her origins.
Read moreVampire Weekend’s Overstuffed ‘Father of the Bride’ Falls Short of Its Hype-Fueled Expectations | Album Review
From the curious title to the retro-camp of the album cover to the hits & misses contained therein, ‘Father of the Bride’ might leave Vampire Weekend fans scratching their heads.
Read moreJenny Lewis Bares Her Soul with Naked Honesty on Cleverly Conceived 'On The Line' | Album Review
It’s a unique pleasure for an artist who spoke to you deeply years ago to continue creating compelling material, as is clearly the case with Lewis’ fourth album.
Read moreSharon Van Etten Expands Her Sound & Vision with Revelatory ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’ | Album Review
‘Remind Me Tomorrow’ reinforces that Van Etten is an unnaturally consistent songwriter, her songs imbued with pathos, often just a breath in between the staggering joy and sorrow.
Read moreMaggie Rogers Transcends the Hype Machine with ‘Heard It In A Past Life’ | Album Review
With Rogers’ promise and passion manifest throughout, her major-label debut album is an encouraging chapter in what will hopefully be a very long musical career.
Read moreRobyn Solidifies Her Class Act Status with Masterful, Magical ‘Honey’ | Album Review
With ‘Honey,’ Robyn proves that even after taking a few years off, she is a true standout in a crowded dance pop scene, still setting the tone after all these years.
Read moreMarissa Nadler Strikes a Cathartic Chord with Sublime, Slow-Burning ‘For My Crimes’ | Album Review
A critically-acclaimed artist for over ten years, Nadler’s eighth studio album ‘For My Crimes’ shines as another example of her preternatural talent and style.
Read moreMitski Crafts a Stirring Soliloquy on Heartache and Loneliness with ‘Be the Cowboy’ | Album Review
More comfortable with her anxieties, and articulating them beautifully, Mitski has taken a pop turn on her fantastic fifth studio album.
Read moreSantigold Eschews Mainstream Pop Appeal for Fun & Informal ‘I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions’ | Album Review
Pulling influences from Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Santigold doesn’t stray too far from her typical sound, but pays a more direct tribute to classic reggae style this time around.
Read moreJake Shears’ Solo Dancing Shoes Fit Him Remarkably Well on Refreshing, Eponymous Debut | Album Review
While the sound of Scissor Sisters is only as great as the sum of the group’s parts, Shears flies solo in fine form on his impressive debut album.
Read moreUnderworld & Iggy Pop Merge Their Musical Mojo for Concise & Compelling ‘Teatime Dub Encounters’ | EP Review
On the four-track affair, Iggy Pop plays well with Underworld, understanding the subtlety of their music, while delivering lyrics with dry humor and a light touch.
Read moreFlorence + The Machine Embrace Heightened Introspection on ‘High As Hope’ | Album Review
Florence + The Machine’s fourth studio album delivers on the formulas that have proven to work well in the past, but are still exciting upon first listen.
Read moreMelody’s Echo Chamber Navigates a Wild Trip Through a French Pop World on ‘Bon Voyage’ | Album Review
Though Melody Prochet’s second studio affair under the Melody’s Echo Chamber moniker can be at times overwhelming, she has not wasted a single breath here.
Read moreDrake’s Double-Album ‘Scorpion’ Possesses Depth & Energy in Short Supply | Album Review
Drake is consistent as always on his fifth studio LP, but needs to push himself harder and reach a little deeper if he wants to hold your attention for nearly 90 minutes.
Read moreLily Allen’s Dazzling, Deeply Personal ‘No Shame’ Proves She’s As Incisive & Charming As Ever | Album Review
While plenty of lines from ‘No Shame’ are destined to be ‘Daily Mail’ headlines, Allen demonstrates a newfound depth she hadn’t exhibited on previous albums.
Read morePete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson Reunite for Solid Five-Song Set ‘Apart’ | EP Review
Yorn & Johansson’s previous collaborations had more character, but were not much meatier than what’s served here on their new five-track extended play.
Read moreLaura Marling & Mike Lindsay’s Creative Energies Converge for Engrossing ‘LUMP’ | Album Review
Laura Marling’s silky voice and Mike Lindsay’s sleek production sound much smoother than the name of their collaborative project suggests.
Read moreNeko Case Returns Resilient & Resplendent with ‘Hell-On’ | Album Review
On her seventh album, Case sounds emboldened, too pissed off to stay quiet. She doles out her anger in spoonfuls, washed down with humor and hooks.
Read moreAn Exercise in Artistic Regression, Kanye West’s ‘ye’ Offers Little of Substance | Album Review
Kanye West has made some great music, so perhaps producing seven passable is just reflexive at this point.
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