The Bad Plus Are Exceptional As a Quartet on Their New Album
The Bad Plus makes a convincing case for the new lineup and puts the quartet’s vitality on full display and injects modern jazz with that same Bad Plus edge.
Music Reviews
John Fullbright is ‘The Liar’ that tells the truth
The Liar suggests Americana’s John Fullbright understands the transcendent reality provided through music. The line between reality and lies is murky.
Office Culture Sparkle on the Grooving, Moody ‘Big Time Things’
Office Culture sing of love, sadness, and city life on Big Time Things, buoyed by a four-piece combination that locks in with a unique brand of art-pop.
The Advisory Circle Seem Less Haunted on ‘Full Circle’
The Advisory Circle’s Full Circle tunes in, drones on, and drops out. It’s less evocative of the hauntology aesthetic and more of a contemporary ambient electronic album.
For CC Sorensen Home Is Where the Frog Jazz Is
CC Sorensen makes music you have never heard before on ‘Phantom Rooms’, where their “Frog Jazz” incorporates ambient, noise, avant-garde, and cyclical minimalism.
Pixies’ ‘Doggerel’ Is Solid Folk Rock Out of Step with Modern Trends
Pixies’ Doggerel switches between rock and folk drastically. The crisp production perfectly serves this dynamic, but for foggy ideas and fabricated whimsy.
Perera Elsewhere Goes Elsewhere on ‘Home’
Toning down the doom-folk, Perera Elsewhere grounds Home‘s sound closer in line with the vibe of her DJ sets, aiming for more rise than fall in the mix.
Sunny Sweeney Finds Being ‘Married Alone’ Sadder Than Being by Oneself
Texas’ Sunny Sweeney moves to Nashville and goes into mainstream country, as Married Alone reveals her proud independence and the price she pays for it.
PopMatters Seeks Music Writers
If you’re a smart, historically-minded music critic or essayist, let your voice be heard by the quality readership of PopMatters.
Megadeth Eulogize ‘The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!’ (Sort Of)
Megadeth skirt the contemporary issues they tease on The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! But was this brand of metal ever designed to be this safe?
Pearl Jam Rock for 9/11 First-Responders in New York City
Pearl Jam made their debut on the Apollo stage for SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series the night before a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.
Julia Mark Creates Engaging Indie Piano Pop on ‘Keeping You’
Listeners will enjoy Keeping You, the new LP of piano-led indie pop ballads from Julia Mark, but the reasons lead to a cloudiness of thought.
