The eleven tracks assembled here have the feel of a live show, not in terms of rawness, because Staples is always fully cooked, but more in the presentation of the songs.
Read moreThe Yawpers Revel in Their Kinetic & Kaleidoscopic Brand of Rock on ‘Human Question’ | Album Review
The album’s individual songs possess a seamlessness that feels like driving on an empty highway and suddenly realizing you're going 85 miles per hour.
Read moreBohannons Keep It Simple Yet Stirring with ‘Bloodroot’ | Album Review
It's not so much that the Bohannons make simple rock & roll. Their talent is in making the complex feel simple, and ‘Bloodroot’ is the prime manifestation of this.
Read more‘Sky Blue’ Extends the Mystique & Magic of Townes Van Zandt’s Songcraft | Album Review
Van Zandt’s ability to bring songs to life with just his words, voice and guitar is why, some 20 years after his death, people are still re-examining and enjoying his work.
Read moreGary Clark Jr.’s Genre-Blending ‘This Land’ is a Quintessentially American Musical Masterpiece | Album Review
‘This Land’ reimagines what contemporary blues might sound like without the profound influence of the 1960s British Invasion to alter its trajectory in the United States.
Read moreColin Linden & Luther Dickinson Craft a Whole Lotta Songs to Love with ‘Amour’ | Album Review
The performances captured here are all stellar, with the The Tennessee Valentines doing a particularly exceptional job of making sure each and every song sounds perfect.
Read moreSeth Rosenbloom’s Debut Album ‘Keep On Turning’ Approaches Blues Brilliance | Album Review
Even with a few imperfections, Rosenbloom provides glimpses of his potential as a singer/blues guitarist who has appeal beyond the Guitar Center set.
Read moreLightfoils Summon Shoegaze’s Halcyon Days with Lush, Enveloping ‘Chambers’ | EP Review
Listeners who missed the first wave of shoegaze in the 1990s, or simply miss the sound today, should give Lightfoils a chance.
Read moreTony Joe White’s ‘Bad Mouthin’’ Finds Strength in Its Simple, Stripped-Down Beauty | Album Review
With songs that breathe and run free, while fully realizing their potential, ‘Bad Mouthin’’ is the flip side of the over-production trap that plagues many an artist.
Read moreNobody’s Girl Dazzle and Delight with Impressive Debut ‘Waterline’ | EP Review
Vocalists BettySoo, Grace Pettis, and Rebecca Loebe formally joined voices as a trio just last year, but they sound as if they’ve been making music together for years and years.
Read moreBird Streets’ Debut Album Is a Contemporary Masterpiece That Conjures Indie Rock’s Glory Days | Album Review
A modern album that captures the classic 1980s/1990s indie rock sound, songwriter John Brodeur and guitarist Jason Falkner’s collaboration is a revelatory and refreshing listen.
Read moreA Reinvigorated Middle Class Rut Capture Balance & Beauty on Auspicious ‘Gutters’ | Album Review
Boasting a big sound that makes them sound like a full band, Middle Class Rut is a two-piece band made up of singer/guitarist Zack Lopez and singer/drummer Sean Stockham.
Read moreShemekia Copeland Crafts a Vital Album for Our Volatile Times with ‘America’s Child’ | Album Review
The primary purpose of ‘America’s Child’ is to make great music, and Copeland accomplishes this while still making larger points about the world in which we all live.
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