Jazz Bassist William Parker Puts His Musical Philosophy Into Action on ‘Universal Tonality’
William Parker’s Universal Tonality is a recording he has been holding in his back pocket for just about 20 years now, which is crazy because it’s so good.
Reviews
Jake Blount Transforms Old Tradition for ‘The New Faith’
Jake Blount reworks traditional spirituals for a future setting on The New Faith and wonders what black music will sound like after climate change.
Kelsea Ballerini Plays It Safe on ‘Subject to Change’
Kelsea Ballerini’s Subject to Change suggests another genre-bending, boundary-pushing country crossover record, but it’s her most conservative work to date.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/MetalMatters/Music/Music Features/Music Reviews/PopMatters Picks/Reviews
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of September 2022
September’s best metal albums feature Autopsy re-affirming death metal sovereignty, City of Caterpillar’s return to off-kilter post-hardcore after 20 years, and so much more.
Boulder Falls Madly for Revealing Madison Cunningham
Sparked by a three-man band and her riveting guitar riffs, power player Madison Cunningham turns on an infatuated crowd with new songs and a rock-hard attitude.
No. 2’s First Album in Years ‘First Love’ Takes You for a Spin ’90s Style
No. 2’s First Love pulls right up in front of you and wastes no time, like a friend who comes to pick you up for a night out and leaves the car running.
Manifesto ‘Rest Is Resistance’ Will Make You Crave a Nap
If a manifesto isn’t angry, it must rely on humor. The Nap Minister Tricia Hersey’s manifesto, Rest Is Resistance, struggles to compel one to inaction.
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.
