It's been five years since Pete Yorn released his charming debut Musicforthemorningafter, which vaulted him to the top of the singer/songwriter charts. Since that time, Yorn has been accused of sounding too bland on his second effort, Day I Forgot, leaving fans wondering if they would ever hear another classic album from him.
From the sound of the opening track "The Light" on The Album Leaf's new, album Into the Blue Again, it would be forgivable to expect a sort of reigned in Sigur Ros. But when track two rolls around, listeners are instead greeted with a dark electropop offering vaguely reminiscent of Pedro the Lion.
Brooklyn rockers Oxford Collapse are back with their third release – and first with their new record label Sub Pop – Remember the Night Parties.
It would be easy to file The Crane Wife under progressive-revivalists, since the eclectic instrumentals, swirling keyboards, and storybook lyrics make it feel like an early Genesis album, however The Crane Wife is a courageous, defiant, and whimsical record that commands your attention, and your intimidation.
Matthew Ryan’s latest, From a Late Night High-Rise, could certainly be called his life-support project, only because there is a certain strain, a certain struggle that clings to the thinnest ice on every note, where the sadness becomes beautiful.
While GBV was indeed a legendary band, the coverage and mystery surrounding the event seemed highly unlikely for a band that reached its peak with audiences in 1994. However, the aftermath had critics and the faithful alike scratching their heads and wondering, “What direction will Pollard take with his solo career?” The answer is very simply, “More of the same.”
Cheery, melancholic, bluesy, and rocking are all levels that The Kooks reach on their debut album. The songs move from introspective to out right party tunes and done with an abundance of youthful optimism.
Every once in a while, a new band arrives and breathes fresh air into a monotonous genre. Such is the case with Oneside, a talented pop-rock quartet from Boston. While incorporating banjo into pop-rock is hardly revolutionary – Béla Fleck, for instance, has been doing that for a while – Oneside combines bluegrass, rock and roll, and a catchy pop mentality into a sound that is distinctively their own.
Although it took yeard for this collaboration to finally happen, The Road to Escondido has paved the beginning of a solid musical partnership between Cale and Clapton, as they reach their "golden" years.
Joan Osborne’s debut album for Vanguard Records, Pretty Little Stranger brings this highly respected singer-songwriter back to her Kentucky roots with six originals and six cover songs that are subtle country-bluegrass blends.
