The singer has yet to discover a sound or sensibility that truly distinguishes her.
One hopes that Monsters of Folk makes for more than just a one-off side project.
However talented Mika may be, he’s going to burn out fast unless he learns how to rein in some of his more repellant instincts.
Wild Young Hearts is a very good album that falls just short of powerhouse status.
The collusion of punk-rock tempos with unusual chords, twisted instrumentation, and technical acumen is consistently impressive.
Kid Cudi doesn’t want you to take him seriously.
The scope and thoughtfulness that made Mountain Soul such a treasure are absent here.
That the lyrics aren’t the selling point of We’re on Your Side keeps the focus on the instrumental arrangements that are Slaraffenland’s real strength.
Bear breathes new life into a long-hibernating genre.
Yo La Tengo knows exactly how hard and in what direction to push.
Susana Baca’s Seis Poemas presents summery South American pop stripped down to its elements.
Prejudice? No! Ignorance? No! Bigotry? No! Illiteracy? A tad.
Arrangement is often a difficult listen because of Hawthorne’s inferior vocal performances.
Notwithstanding what it might sound like, A Fine Frenzy isn’t the title of some post-punk Brit band festooned in Hot Topic pinstripes.
If W.K.’s aim was to prove once and for all his capabilities beyond the insistent plinking of a single note, then mission accomplished.
Still a little dry at times, Curse Your Branches is saved by its attempts at lightness and levity.
Everything is connected in Tarantino’s world, bound by his religious sense of devotion to films and the music that goes with them.
There simply isn’t anything here that speaks to what has made Drive-By Truckers one of the smartest, most nuanced acts of the last decade.
The New Voice lives more contently in the midtempo numbers that allow her to sink into the grooves.
Colbie Caillat’s music is so banal and nondescript that even the most lovesick listener will be hard-pressed to feel moved.
American Classic finds Nelson sounding as soulful and youthful as he has in years.