Honeymoon erases most of Del Rey’s modern influences ... to better display her sepulchral voice and highly-stylized phrasing, in which the melisma is so arbitrary, it almost seems determined by throws of the I Ching.
It's not a radical reformation of Welch's style; she hasn't stripped all the ornamentation from her cathedral of sound and become a folky confessional songwriter. But she is resorting less to abstract, lofty imagery and speaking with a more frank immediacy.
With sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career.
DS2 is a heavy dose of medication as entertainment, and it's not for those with a low tolerance.
Lyrically, Tillman has a penchant for enjambment that leaves punchlines and revelations momentarily suspended, so songs unfold with continual surprises.
Among rock music of its kind, it's one of the most muscular collections in some time, yet it accomplishes this by hardly even flexing.
For as erudite as it is, though, In Colour doesn't require footnotes to enjoy -- it's first and foremost a dance record.
On 25, the material is occasionally inspired, sometimes dull, but always serviceable -- and with Adele, that’s enough.
There's a lot, sometimes too much, to take in, but Staples has tons to say, in a delivery that finds middle ground between Nas' wizened rasp and Too Short's melodic Cali lilt.
Art Angels is a marvel of meticulous, even obsessive home-studio recording, uncompromised by bandmates or collaborators.
Hamilton’s stage production should be required viewing for every American citizen, but this exhilarating listen is a much more practical, and every bit as enjoyable, stand-in.
Despite the bold declarations, beautiful beats and brash imagery, To Pimp a Butterfly is not an announcement, it's a conversation.