Shearwater’s ‘The Great Awakening’ Is a Chore to Get Through
Shearwater’s The Great Awakening is a mostly plodding creation whose intriguing nuances and insights are marred by musical tedium and hollowness.
Jordan Blum
Jordan Blum is a writer at PopMatters, as well as a contributor to PROG, Consequence of Sound, Kerrang!, The Recording Academy/GRAMMYS, The Prog Report, Metal Injection, and more. He's the author of two books— On Track: Jethro Tull and On Track: Dream Theater—and is currently working on a third in the series (about Opeth). Beyond that, he's the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review and he teaches writing at various colleges around the Philly area.
Dopapod Craft Multidimensional Rock Luxury on Self-Titled LP
Dopapod is another fabulous creation solidifying Dopapod’s complex yet calming and colorful stylistic approach. It’s an energizing, imaginative, and stylish LP.
Tears For Fears Make a Resplendent Return on ‘The Tipping Point’
Tears For Fears’ The Tipping Point is exquisitely intimate, poppy, and multilayered, highlighting the deepest beauties of Smith and Orzabal’s partnership.
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The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021
The ongoing pandemic led to a brilliant year in the best progressive rock albums. Many artists translated their 2020 hardships into artistic gems.
Still Stranger than Fiction: An Interview with Chuck Palahniuk
How, in this era of cancel culture, does the idiosyncratic and transgressive Chuck Palahniuk keep publishing? On this and his new work “People, Places, Things”.
Between the Buried and Me Captivated with a Career-Spanning Set at the Theatre of Living Arts
The lengthy evening provided a communal celebration of both Between the Buried and Me’s whole catalog and the return of live music in general.
Gruff Rhys Returns with More Symphonic Delights on ‘Seeking New Gods’
Gruff Rhys’ Seeking New Gods is another wonderfully adventurous, multifaceted, stirring, and all-around eternal collection from this psychedelic pop artist.
The Prize Fighter Inferno’s ‘The City Introvert’ Is a Marginally Rewarding Return
The Prize Fighter Inferno’s The City Introvert has a safe superficiality, combined with a few moments of out-and-out cringe, making it above-average at best.
The Vintage Caravan Channel 1970s Psych/Prog Rock Greats on ‘Monuments’ (album premiere)
Monuments sets a new benchmark not just for the Vintage Caravan, but for the entirety of today’s retro rock movement. Hear the full album here before release.
The Vintage Caravan Return with Retro Rock Excellence on ‘Monuments’
The Vintage Caravan’s Monuments is a pristine example of how to do retro rock right. It’s an essential listen with an invigorating take on those older styles.
Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Live’ Is Better Than Ever on Expanded Remaster
Fleetwood Mac’s Live sounds better than ever, giving both longtime fans and newcomers a stronger glimpse into how immaculate they were at the turn of the decade.