Some wags would argue that deep-fried shoegazers My Morning Jacket have never really known restraint.
The Magic Numbers sound less like the love children of Teenage Fanclub and more like a not-so-dour Kings of Leon.
The ominous, swirling blend of post-punk catharsis and intense, coiled melody that fuels such Echo classics as Ocean Rain is in full effect here.
Destination Unknown is a fairly upbeat (for the most part) and engaging record that’s aided tremendously by Don Kerr’s reedy vocals.
The album feels less like raising awareness and more like hopping on the bandwagon.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club drops the calculated hipster façade and crafts one of the most earnest and surprising albums of the year.
In the Reins is a winning combination of sensibilities that results in a thoroughly engaging record.
Much of Life in Slow Motion feels contemplative, but not morosely so.
It’s as though McCartney was determined to accomplish something other than a harbinger of advanced ticket sales.
Of all people, the exacting troubadour Michael Penn can surely appreciate the irony of being rendered obsolete before his time.