Chi-Raq is a Spike Lee joint in the urgent sociopolitical register of Radio Raheem’s boombox.
Throughout, director Justin Kurzel’s stagey pretensions clash with each of his aesthetic choices.
Shortly after the surprise brass-and-vocalese bridge of the Ed Sheeran co-write “Love Yourself,” Purpose starts rehashing its distinct set of formulas.
Sometimes the maximalist ambitions of Claire Boucher’s Art Angels overshoot the needs of pop.
OMI still feels a certain responsibility to, or at least vested interest in, the music scene that fostered his talents.
For a while, Honeymoon’s lack of pretense translates as a banner strength.
Kacey Musgraves’s Pageant Material is a laidback, melodically impeccable set that makes subtle strides in developing the singer’s sound.
Everything Is 4 recalibrates a bit, updating Derulo’s sound to current trends with 11 precision-tooled three-minute-and-change pop songs.
I Can’t Imagine opts for uncharacteristically hazy sprawl over Shelby Lynne’s usual tight focus.
Passion Pit’s Kindred is mired in a sonically limited pop vocabulary.
Though it’s a return to form for the band, Kintsugi falters is in its sacrifice of momentum for structure.
Lamar is greatly invested in the post-rap sound he’s aligned himself with, which is another pointed departure from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
The second half doesn’t always live up to the standard of poetic lyrics or dynamic pacing Moorer set on the best of her past releases.
True Romance is a personal body of work, an uncompromised expression of what defines Estelle as an artist.
Today Madonna trickled out three more tracks from her forthcoming album, Rebel Heart, bringing the (official) count up to nine.
With Blackbirds, Gretchen Peters betrays the notion that albums devoted to the subject of mortality are exclusively the province of men.
This is a race more of less between two albums: One great and daring, one mediocre and safe.
Ne-Yo may be a man of many talents, but his new album, Non-Fiction, makes it clear that the scope of those talents is limited.
What’s remained true since “Declare Independence” is her disinterest in a zeitgeist that at one time her participation helped shape.
The album is all about trying—striving to best a catalogue without peer, and sounding, minute-to-minute, like its makers might’ve done it.