We weren’t sure if Madonna could surprise us anymore. Until she did.
Fall be Kind is more of the same, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing but for the change in tone.
Post-statutory rape scandal, post-Trapped in the Closet, R. Kelly has eased into a niche as hip-hop’s de facto crazy uncle.
Deer Tick’s More Fuel for the Fire EP plays as a crash course in modern Southern-rock revisionism.
The Puppetmastaz has sacrificed the tried and tested hip-hop formula and, as such, lost their bite.
Without a doubt, Blakroc can be considered a gamble that has most certainly paid off.
All or Nothing is stuck in the missionary position.
With just a few exceptions, it isn’t hard to hear why these tracks were relegated to B-sides.
It’s still a wonder how forceful and ferocious Tom Waits sounds live.
The album impresses all the more as the rare Idol debut to sound like the work of an actual artist with a clear sense of purpose.
What’s most puzzling and disappointing about Battle Studies is that its banality seems like a deliberate choice.
In short, Rihanna don’t feel much like dancing no more. Leave that sort of soft shoe to the defense.
This is exactly the kind of pleasant and ultimately forgettable album that most of Kris Allen’s Idol performances predicted he would make.
The album arrives stateside unburdened by any expectations for an artistic or commercial rebound.
Fame Monster does provide some small, if fleeting, glimpses behind the pretense that is Lady Gaga.
If nothing else, Echo certainly establishes Leona Lewis as a singularly gifted vocalist.
If you thought that success went to Ryan Tedder’s head, Waking Up wastes no time confirming those suspicions.
On The Seventh Seal, Rakim finds himself shackled to a mass of middling producers and unexceptional beats.
The album is about as edgy as recent albums by Aimee Mann and Rosanne Cash.
Escovedo’s critical cachet has always outstripped his name recognition and commercial impact.
The Old 97’s have been drawing from the best of country, rock, and pop all along.