Beth Orton Embraces Her Past on ‘Weather Alive’ to Shape Her Future
Having only put out five albums in the past two decades, Beth Orton’s Weather Alive embraces her electro-folk past while embracing a weathered, gorgeous future.
music review
Todd Snider Returns As ‘The Storyteller’ in His New Recording
Americana’s Todd Snider delivers his story songs with gusto and tells his shaggy dog tales with mischievous glee on Live: Return of the Storyteller.
Julian Lage and Bill Frisell Combine Abilities on ‘View With a Room’
Julian Lage’s sound has the warmth of Joe Pass, the bite of Les Paul, and the dexterity of both, as exemplified by View With a Room.
Sampa the Great Soars Aabove Her Whole Industry on ‘As Above, So Below’
On Sampa the Great’s As Above, So Below, she makes music with incredible clarity of purpose and affirms a sense of interconnected self and heritage.
‘Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years’ Celebrates the Clash Founder’s Next Band
Joe Strummer’s fear of becoming bored or stuck provoked him and the Mescaleros to turn over new stones any chance they could. This new set is comprehensive.
Ali McGuirk Knows What She’s Got ‘Til It’s Gone’
The music gets jazzy and soulful on Til It’s Gone as Ali McGuirk shows off her vocal talents. The results provide a wealth of sonic enjoyment.
The Unbearable Lightness of Death Cab For Cutie’s ‘Asphalt Meadows’
Death Cab for Cutie show their place in the indie rock pantheon on Asphalt Meadows while also producing music deserving of consideration with some of their best early work.
Rina Sawayama’s ‘Hold the Girl’ Is a Raw Coming-of-Age Tale
Beneath the dance-pop, Rina Sawayama’s Hold the Girl is a liberating saga of growth, maturity, and forgiveness branded in the form of an alt-pop album.
Lee “Scratch” Perry: King Scratch – Musical Masterpieces From the Upsetter Ark-ive
One year after his passing, King Scratch fetes the reggae/dub shaman Lee “Scratch” Perry with a multiple-disc, multiple-format, career-spanning collection.
Far-Out Reptilian Government Are Groovy, Very Weird and Unlike Anything You’ve Heard This Year
The Reptilian Government possess a rhythmic 1970s funk sensibility more suited to Kool and the Gang than EDM – if Kool featured intricate solos and curated prog-rock aspirations.
Rina Sawayama’s ‘Hold the Girl’ Is a Bewildering Anticlimax
Rina Sawayama’s second LP, Hold the Girl, suffers from a lack of risk and is self-consciously conservative in terms of execution. It’s a bewildering anticlimax.
Living Hour Embrace “The Feels” on ‘Someday Is Today’
Canadian dream popsters Living Hour capture grief with sluggish tempos, minor key chord progressions, and numbing moments of disassociation on Someday Is Today.
