Album Reviews

When the legendary pianist and composer NEA Jazz Master Andrew Hill’s live A Beautiful Day was issued in 2002, he had long left Blue Note in 1969. The intervening years were sketchy, with releases on European labels and long hiatuses to care for his ailing wife on the West Coast. In the late ‘90s, Hill […]

Million Voices Whisper is the fourth solo album and first in almost a decade for Warren Haynes, yet it’s been stewing in Haynes’ head for his entire career. It goes back to his days as a youngster listening to his favorite soul singers. It’s rich with his definitive guitar playing throughout, whether on lead or […]

Finally!, the debut from Jake Sherman and Abe Rounds (Jake and Abe), feels like an intimate jam session where the magic of groove and melody takes center stage. This project, seven years in the making, leans heavily into funk, jazz, and soul, but what sets it apart is the dynamic way these genres are deconstructed […]

The Danish band Iceage is known for their inventive, if at times quirky, take on punk and post-punk. Across four solid albums, the band has offered a powerful take on the genre with layered instruments and a substantial sound. So, it’s a little unexpected to hear how intimate the songs are on singer/lyricist Elias Rønnenfelt’s […]

Beth Lee has one of those voices that one never tires of, a mix of charm, sensuality, and defiance, belting out her original hook-laden songs. You’ve likely heard her before as the lead singer of The Breakups or through her solo work beginning with 2008’s Cassette Tapes & Cash Money to the predecessor for this […]

With the Pixies’ tenth album, The Night The Zombies Came, the band has now matched its pre-breakup output. Since reforming in 2004, the group has released five albums. The group has effortlessly morphed from alt-rock groundbreakers into relaxed middle-aged rockers.    The core band, Black Francis – lead vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitar, David Lovering – drums, percussion, […]

Iain Matthews is hardly a household name, but he has had his share of flirtations with the mainstream throughout his sixty-year-plus career. Having exited English folk pioneers Fairport Convention, he formed Matthews Southern Comfort, with whom he had a hit in 1970 with Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” A decade later, following a move to Los Angeles […]

Months on the road fueled by cheap beer, gas station food, and likely a little grass (and likely more) are most of the ingredients behind the latest from Seattle’s Smoker Dad. Hotdog Highway, the sophomore effort from the band, is a brilliant Pacific Northwest take on classic Southern Rock, echoing everyone from the Allman Brothers […]

At this point in their career, Melbourne-based punk rock outfit Amyl and The Sniffers have all the makings of the genre’s next big thing. Their lo-fi vocals cut through dense distortion to deliver nimble melodies and youthful tales of angst, and on the surface, it may seem like their sonic recipe is far from new. […]

Although the title indeed suggests dark songs and plenty of melancholy, singer-songwriter Grayson Capps injects his personality into these classic songs on Heartbreak, Misery, and Death, and the listen may brighten your day. That’s due to his astute selection of songs and rough-hewn, enjoyable baritone vocals. The Alabama-bred Capps teams with his longtime guitarist, Corky Hughes, to […]