Album Reviews

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Coyote, the new album from John Calvin Abney, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

[rating=7.00] The first thing that strikes you when listening to Clarence Bucaro is his clear, soulful voice, one that could keep your attention for hours on end. Then, as you move more deeply into Bucaro’s Passionate Kind his songwriting and storytelling become compelling too. Bucaro is a literary writer, one who reads plenty of classic […]

[rating=9.00] Gretchen Peters consistently raises the bar and somehow manages to surpass it with each album.  Her previous outing, 2015’s Blackbirds won the International Roots Album of the Year. This time she retains many of the same backing musicians and co-writers but focuses on female characters from teenage girls to old women to deliver another […]

[rating=8.00] Opening with just a piano, “Cast Off” starts Sparkle Hard dramatically. Over its short run time, the track manages to soar with buzzing guitars, gorgeous choruses and arousing feeling that anything is possible; an emotional kickstart to the indie rock legends newest satisfying full length. Stephen Malkmus has always had a knack for hooks, […]

[rating=9.00] Philadelphia is a blue collar factory town whose inhabitants have a longstanding reputation for being a tough, hard-nosed sorta folk. So it should come as no surprise to learn the boys of Low Cut Connie call Philly home. Their brand of straightforward American rock and roll embodies the gritty, DIY ethos of the city, […]

[rating=9.00] Following the release of her debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Australian rocker Courtney Barnett was suddenly everywhere. Seemingly touring non-stop, she captivated new fans and old with her energy, witty lyrics, and characteristic deadpan singing style. Many wondered if she would be able to bring the same […]

[rating=8.00] Call it a companion piece or a mirror image, Tomorrow’s Daughter is a more than worthwhile follow-up to Matthew Sweet’s release of last year, Tomorrow Forever. After constructing his own studio in a new home in Omaha, NE, he originally recorded 38 songs for that 2017 title and cut down the track total to […]

[rating=7.00] Jason Boland & The Stragglers embrace country music mostly for one of its key foundations – storytelling.  On their new release, Hard Times Are Relative, the band challenges our relationship with our past and our acceptance of the inevitability of change. This is intelligent, provocative fodder delivered with a danceable, edgy honky-tonk fervor that […]

[rating=8.00] First impressions don’t count for much as far as Ryley Walker is concerned. That works to his benefit given the fact that his music strays beyond preset parameters, crossing the boundaries from solitary shoegaze to sounds of a decidedly abstract variety. Like Tom Waits, Scott Walker, John Cale and Carla Bley, Walker doesn’t hold […]

[rating=9.00] Given the fact that most of his musical endeavors have been spent sharing stages with Sarah Guthrie, the Guthrie name naturally looms large in Johnny Irion’s ongoing efforts. Even so, his own family connections ought to be considered impressive as well; his uncle is author Thomas Steinbeck, his great uncle is author John Steinbeck and […]