Jenny JAM’s Debut Was Six Years in the Making
This record features a very good singer, Jenny JAM. There is also a title that describes the project more accurately than anyone involved seems to realize.
soul
Ayanna Witter-Johnson Brilliantly Re-Contextualises Jazz
Art needs new, refined voices to add a different dimension to the project as a whole. Ayanna Witter-Johnson is one such formidable bastion.
Meshell Ndegeocello Offers Superb Soulful Duets of Classics
Meshell Ndegeocello’s Synonym is a superb modern soul album filled with sensual grooves, compelling vocals, and ingenious arrangements.
Nicole Atkins Welcomes the Pain and the Pop Grandeur on ‘Drama’
Six years after her last LP, noir pop singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins returns with a resplendent record that turns isolation into theater.
Thank Goodness for Joy Oladokun and ‘Hope Is a Heavy Thing’
In Hope Is a Heavy Thing, Joy Oladokun seamlessly pairs concerns about violence and environmental catastrophe with lamentations of her own flaws.
Ruthie Foster Embraces Joy and Life on ‘Just Say Yes’
Ruthie Foster’s new LP succeeds because its optimism is carried by a voice that remains one of the most expressive instruments in contemporary roots music today.
Frederico7 Offers His Whole Heart on the Exuberant ‘Brasileirôu’
Inspired by the bossa nova and funk legends of his home country, Brazil, and the varied scenes in Austin, Texas, Frederico7 is an artist in motion.
The Past Is Prologue for the Family on ‘Delusions of Grandeur’
The Family’s Delusions of Grandeur is a portrait of the COVID era, from its beginning to the present, showing the future has already passed.
Loathe Lace Metal with Soul on ‘A Stranger to You’
Loathe changed the face of metal six years ago. With a new sound in tow, are they still capable of reaching those heights with A Stranger to You?
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.
Empire Child’s Music Could Heal the World
As Empire Child, Ruth Rothwell realizes her lifelong dream of releasing her own music. It’s a journey of introspection, social consciousness, and positivity.
Ghost Hounds Party Like Its 1969 with “Gimme Shelter”
Ghost Hounds’ cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” evokes the feeling that we’re on the edge of something dangerous.