Thomas Dollbaum Launches Impressive Debut with Folky, Textured ‘Wellswood’
New Orleans singer-songwriter Thomas Dollbaum fuses vivid lyric imagery with eclectic musical choices on his impressive debut album, Wellswood.
soft rock
The 10 Best Carly Simon Albums
Carly Simon is one of pop’s greatest chroniclers of the human heart with a song for almost every shade of feeling. These are the 10 best Carly Simon albums.
Boy Scouts Amble Through Warming West Coast Folk-Pop on ‘Wayfinder’
The latest album from Taylor Vick’s Boy Scouts project, Wayfinder hikes through familiar terrain, but her floaty folk-pop arrangements still resonate.
How Catholicism Shaped Sting’s Creative Vision
In Sting and Religion, Evyatar Marienberg explores links between the rock icon’s Catholic upbringing and the religious themes in his lyrics.
50 years Ago Barbra Streisand Became a Contemporary Pop Singer with ‘Barbra Joan Streisand’
If Stoney End was Barbra Streisand’s Laura Nyro project, then Barbra Joan Streisand was her Carole King project. Fifty years later, it offers fascinating insight.
Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ Is Captured by Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Series
As Carole King’s magnum opus Tapestry turns 50, scholar Loren Glass gives King and her work a deserved place in Bloomsbury’s prestigious 33 1/3 series.
Jackson Browne Proves He Has Plenty Left in the Tank on ‘Downhill From Everywhere’
Downhill From Everywhere finds legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne still searching for something new in familiar yet comforting ways.
50 Years Ago Todd Rundgren Wrong-Footed the World with ‘Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren’
Fifty years ago, Todd Rundgren’s 1971 LP, Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren took on the growing army of singer-songwriters who clogged the charts and won. Sadly, nobody cared.
Soda Sun’s “Stay Here” Is Textured, Reflective Indie Rock (premiere)
Indie pop’s Soda Sun debut their latest single, “Stay Here”, with PopMatters, and we chat with them about their careers so far.
A Fascinating Cross: Elton John’s ‘The Fox’ at 40
Forty years after its release, it’s time for The Fox to be recognized as a minor classic in Elton John’s discography. It’s nothing less than a lost gem.
15 Years Ago Paul Simon’s ‘Surprise’ Synthesized Traditional and Transformational Songwriting
Surprise shows that the familiar pleasures of Paul Simon’s work are the themes and musical sparks that leave a lasting influence.