Florence Adooni’s Astonishing ‘A.O.E.I.U.’ Is Electrifying
Florence Adooni has effortless, down-to-earth charisma from start to finish, from her most lighthearted moments to her most earnest.
PopMatters Picks
PopMatters picks the best pop culture for your enjoyment, including music, film, TV, books, games, comics, and more.
Amulets Experiments in Powerful Ambient Soundscapes
Experimental tape wizard Amulets’ Not Around But Through is a lush, all-encompassing, enveloping sound that consumes the listener whole.
Mdou Moctar Mourns with Sadness on ‘Tears of Injustice’
Mdou Moctar’s Tears of Injustice is cause for mourning and melancholy. It makes time for lamentation, knowing there is more to sustaining resistance than fighting with fire.
Hour’s ‘Subminiature’ Takes Gentle Ambience Into a Live Setting
Hour temper their unusual style with deep emotion and contemplation. There’s nothing conventional about them, but they always find new ways to provide comfort and joy.
Katy Pinke Soars on Her Brilliant Sophomore Album
Katy Pinke’s Strange Behavior continues to showcase thrilling, inventive songwriting but sees her working with a broader musical palette.
Sam Fender Is a Genuine Generational Talent
Sam Fender takes another big step forward on People Watching, which includes a satisfying collection of songs about the human experience.
Phillip Golub Experiments with Loops on Mesmerizing LP
Loop 7 is yet another in a series of ambitious experimental projects from Phillip Golub and another stunning home run for Joseph Branciforte.
10 Legendary Dance Rock Albums
Dance rock is so intricately involved with the two genres that it almost seems beside the point to mention their pairing. Yet, the style has been massively influential.
Vashti Bunyan’s Folk Classic ‘Lookaftering’ Is Still Astonishing
Twenty years later, the Expanded Edition of Vashti Bunyan’s Lookaftering sustains the quiet force of an artist entirely in command of her craft. Nothing else sounds quite like it.
Laura Nyro Was New York’s True Earth Mother Diva
Laura Nyro’s catalogue confirms an admirable range that extends far beyond her mythic status as New York’s earth mother diva with a ‘60s urchin soul.
David Lee Roth Explores Every Aspect of Himself on Excellent Compilation
Van Halen’s David Lee Roth is more than a pretty singer who used to front a group. He is a vocalist of resilience and impressive ingenuity.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s Success Lies in Its Meme-Worthiness
Arguably 2025’s best RPG video game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II‘s success stems largely from its humorous meme appeal.