Though the album is consistent in its moody menace, it charts too-familiar territory.
Pearl Jam has made a good vocation of staying carefully in their lane, and their new album, Lightning Bolt, is no exception.
Pusha T’s stubborn reliance on maintaining his brand on My Name Is My Name is probably not the wisest strategy in today’s shifting hip-hop climate.
Bangerz is a personal, idiosyncratic effort that finds equal rewards in twentysomething indulgence and inspiring “be yourself” mantras.
Interiors is nothing its title implies, but rather, outdoorsy, unstructured, whimsical, and wonderfully defiant of conventional labels.
Fatboy Slim is back with a new track, a collaboration with producer Riva Starr that samples some dude the pair met in Brooklyn.
HAIM’s debut, Days Are Gone, is an impeccably crafted fusion of late-’80s and ’90s pop influences.
The video for Rihanna’s “Pour It Up” is a display of hip-hop clichés.
Thorburn talked to us about movies, ski masks, branching out into new art forms, and the wise words of Dr. Cornel West.
The video for “Work Bitch” finds Britney Spears flanked by eight female backup dancers in knee-high patent leather boots and black one-pieces.
Move in Spectrums is Au Revoir Simone at their most deceptively simple and musically ambitious.
The latest release from Katy Perry’s Prism, is a surprising and effective throwback to early-’90s house.
Pure Heroine is an almost raw set of vignettes mostly powered by Lorde’s modest, affectation-free performances.
Ultimately, The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 doesn’t so much eclipse its predecessor as it settles into the format more believably.
The Killers new single was produced by M83’s Anthony Gonzalez.
Oh Land’s Wishbone has style to spare, but achieves little else that’s memorable.
Charli XCX’s debut, True Romance, only dropped five months ago, but she’s already prepping her follow-up.
Joanna Gruesome’s Weird Sister is fuzzy, furious, and swaggers like a ballerina in combat boots.
The film is beautifully shot, art-directed, and costumed, with shades of “Vogue,” “Die Another Day,” and more evident throughout.
The album’s handful of capable melodies never quite balances out its bizarre impulses or the utter lack of thematic unity.
While most of the concerns expressed in This Is… seem wafer-thin, the innovative production and diamond-hard songcraft suggest something else entirely.