Thundercat’s Humor Undermines an Otherwise Radiant LP
By not fully letting his guard down, the genre-bending bass virtuoso Thundercat fails to harmonize with the profound beauty of his songs.
progressive soul
Remembering D’Angelo: Revolutionary Funk-Soul Luminary
D’Angelo’s presence loomed large over the neo-soul in the 1990s and 2000s, but his music stood out for its lightness, its subtlety, sparseness, and deftness of touch.
Universal Songs? Interpreting Stevie Wonder’s ‘Songs in the Key of Life’
Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life is 45 years old. It’s a towering masterpiece in the histories of soul, pop, American music, and Black music worldwide.
On Peter Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch” in a Time of Forbidden Touch
Peter Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch” perfectly captures the agonizing isolation that so many of us have been experiencing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Dilla’s ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Pointed the Way to 21st Century Hop-Hop
J Dilla's Welcome 2 Detroit announced where hip-hop could go in the 21st century. This reissue, expanded and spread over 12 seven-inch records, with a book that tells the whole story, reveals just how crucial an album it remains.