Album Reviews

The only thing that can outlast time is the stories forged in the midst of its unforgiving crawl into an unknown future. These tales act as snapshots of moments we weren’t present for, battling clouded memories and the present to ensure that people and moments never fall victim to humanity’s forgetfulness. For The Olympians, the […]

With two decades under their collective belts, The Infamous Stringdusters are suddenly finding themselves with plenty of reasons to celebrate. Twenty of them, to be exact. 20/20, the Nashville-based quintet’s tenth full-length LP, and third to be released on their own record label, Americana Vibes, perfectly encapsulates what the Dusters do best. Clean harmonies, tight […]

Punk music is entering an exciting renaissance period. The genre, which never truly left, is reaching new heights of popularity thanks to acts like Turnstile and their post-punk family, Geese and Squid, who are reshaping the way people think about and approach the ageless art form. Punk, like any lasting genre, has evolved to incorporate […]

The Clay Street Unit may have formed in Colorado, but you can hear the influence of Appalachia throughout their debut, Sin & Squalor. Blending bluegrass with folk, country, and Americana, echoes of everyone from Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs to more modern musicians like Chris Stapleton and Sierra Ferrell can be heard throughout the 11-track […]

Many of the great jazz tenor saxophonists have a ballads album that highlights their catalog. That’s true from Coleman Hawkins through John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and even the late Michael Brecker, among several others. Now, on her third Blue Note release, Filin, Chilean-born tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana joins this legacy. Yet her approach […]

Jay Buchanan has spent the last seventeen years as the frontman for Rival Sons, where his booming voice, combined with Scott Holiday’s heavy guitar riffs, has created some of this era’s best old-school hard rock. Even as the band’s music over the last three albums has grown more melodic and versatile, it’s remained undeniably heavy. […]

Ratboys hit a new creative stride with 2023’s The Window, one of the strongest indie rock albums released that year. Produced by Chris Walla, the record marked a turning point for the Chicago four-piece. So, despite interviewing and considering several other producers, they ultimately brought the former Death Cab for Cutie guitarist back for their […]

Blue Note Records and Motown Gospel have joined forces for an unprecedented hybrid album, Sweet, Sweet Spirit, featuring Ron Carter’s improvisational bass lines underpinning gospel great Ricky Dillard’s famed New G Chorale.  Whether this new venture will encourage jazz listeners to listen to traditional gospel remains to be seen, though Carter’s name alone will draw many to this effort.  […]

Puscifer, at this point in their storied discography, are more defined by the spaces they’ve left open than the ones they’ve occupied. The amorphous brainchild of Maynard James Keenan has been one of the most imaginative bands of its time, stretching its songwriting and open-mindedness to rock’s most experimental corners, employing loose definitions to set […]

On his longest, most thoroughly executed album yet, out now via independent label Lex Records, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon deftly showcases the surfeit of sonic skills that he’s cultivated over years of releasing exceptional, albeit shorter, projects through fellow indie labels such as FXCK RXP, Copenhagen Crates, and most notably Jewelry Rap Productions. From razor-sharp wit […]

The seventh album from the Torrance, California-based outfit Joyce Manor continues their run of super short, catchy, chant-along anthems, with some added twists and turns in the brief proceedings. I Used To Go To This Bar clocks in under twenty minutes with nine tunes that sound primed and ready to explode at each junction.  Released on Epitaph, […]

When a Flower Doesn’t Grow, the full-length debut from Ontario indie rock duo Softcult, is a collection of introspective alt-rock that balances heavy riffs with jangling melodies. Twins Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn self-produced the album, using the eleven tracks to explore sexuality, gender roles, and emotional growth. The title comes from a quote from Dutch […]

One Moment In Time – Live In The USA is the logical extension of the process of refinement that Robin Trower has undertaken with his studio albums of recent years. Running roughly seventy-seven minutes in duration on compact disc and a double LP vinyl set, fourteen tracks taken from two shows on a 2025 American […]

Toad The Wet Sprocket has issued some intriguing anthologies over the years, including PS (A Toad Retrospective) and In Light Syrup, but it’s arguable that none are so fascinating as RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions. Anyone surprised by the appearance of this unorthodox album hasn’t been following the band closely over the years.  Originally emerging in […]

British indie pop musician Lande Hekt dug deep into personal experiences for her first two efforts — 2021’s Going To Hell and 2022’s House Without a View — singing about childhood trauma, sobriety, and exploring her queer identity. Working alongside producer Matthew Simms (Wire, It Hugs Back), she continues that mix of confessional songwriting and […]

Not yet 30, vibraphonist and composer Joel Ross has delivered has fifth Blue Note album, the 2-LP set, Gospel Music. The music remains intricate but less so than his previous efforts. Ross sets a very meditative tone as he follows the arc of the grand biblical story. He begins with creation, moving to the fall and salvation, using the […]

ElectroSoul is DJ Harrison’s first solo album since 2024’s Shades of Yesterday, but one can hardly say he hasn’t been busy. Later in 2024, Devonne Andre Harris (aka DJ Harrison) paired with DMV-based vocalist Nigel Hall (who appears here on “Can’t Go Back”), of Lettuce fame, to release the collaborative and funky Earth, Wind & […]

Veteran troubadour Steve Poltz is the epitome of one who doesn’t take himself too seriously. It’s so refreshing. He describes his approach to making a record as “chaos, caffeine, and accidental poetry – art colliding with microphones and commerce in a glorious mess.”  Inevitably, the resulting music makes us laugh, and, oddly, raises a few serious thoughts. Poltz has […]

In the improvisational circuit, the rhythm section is often the foundation upon which others build their dreams. But on the self-titled debut from Animonic, bassist Chris DeAngelis and drummer Adrian Tramontano step out from the supporting roles they’ve played in powerhouses like Kung Fu, The Breakfast, and Reprise to build something entirely for themselves. The […]

Los Angeles–based Tyler Ballgame will release his debut album For the First Time, Again on Rough Trade Records on January 29, 2026—a journey that reads like the story of a modern music legend. Born Tyler Perry and raised in Rhode Island, he developed his powerful tenor at Berklee College of Music, where teachers saw star […]