Will Sheff Finds Everything in ‘Nothing Special’
Okkervil River’s Will Sheff sounds like someone shrugging off burdens, his music built on steady patience and willingness for difficult but freeing reflection.
ato records
The Power of Amanda Shires’ Voice Reverberates Throughout ‘Take It Like a Man’
Emotionally Amanda Shires’ Take It Like a Man interlaces heartache and disappointment with the profoundly temporal joys of new beginnings and aches of desire.
Drive-By Truckers Forge Ahead By Looking Back on ‘Welcome 2 Club XIII’
Drive-By Truckers’ Welcome 2 Club XIII is more introspective and subdued than the previous raw, unfiltered laments and analyses of American culture.
My Morning Jacket’s Infinite Jest
On My Morning Jacket, Jim James sifts through perceptions about technology and nature, offering a treatment for getting washed away by modernity.
Altın Gün Shift Toward Contemporary Synthpop Sounds on ‘Yol’
Yol proves Altın Gün’s versatility, reassuring listeners that the group can walk down many paths and still take us on a fabulous trip.
My Morning Jacket’s ‘The Waterfall II’ Can Hypnotize
Whereas My Morning Jacket's The Waterfall contemplated conflict, The Waterfall II identifies healing and personal transformation as the next stage of being.
Old 97’s’ ‘Twelfth’ Is Masterful
The years have fallen quite well upon Old 97's as Twelfth stands out as masterful even among their stacked discography.
South African Folk Master Vusi Mahlasela Honors Home on ‘Shebeen Queen’
South African folk master Vusi Mahlasela pays tribute to his home and family with township music on live album, Shebeen Queen.
Drive-By Truckers Are Sadder and Angrier on ‘The Unraveling’
Once Drive-By Truckers' The Unraveling hits the fourth song, "Thoughts and Prayers", the album dives headlong into the nightmares of the United States in 2020.
‘Infest the Rats’ Nest’ Sees King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Embrace Their Inner Thrash
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard go full metal to craft a brutal warning against ecological destruction on their 15th studio album, Infest the Rats' Nest.
Nilüfer Yanya Is More Assured Than Ever on ‘Miss Universe’
Big without the "bang", Miss Universe poignantly showcases the young talent Nilüfer Yanya coming into her own on her own terms.
Rayland Baxter Makes a Masterful Play for the Pop-Rock Middle on ‘Wide Awake’
On Wide Awake, Rayland Baxter channels his inner Paul McCartney, cranks the melodies up to 11, and makes a masterful play for the pop-rock middle.
