Peter Piatkowski
Alison Krauss and Union Station show a meeting of minds, wildly creative professionals reunited to log yet another sterling work in their estimable discography.
1y
On her 17th studio album, Kylie Minogue once again proves that few of her peers or followers understand the art of light dance-pop as well as she does.
1y
Katy Perry’s 143 sounds out of step with current pop, and there isn’t much here that is so eccentric and creative to justify the album’s relative mediocrity.
1y
Dolly Parton’s Rockstar is another solid, consistent piece of work that shows the country legend having fun and enjoying herself at this point in her career.
2y
Chris Stapleton’s Higher is required listening for fans of high-quality, contemporary country. He’s gifted with the most gorgeous male voice in country today.
2y
Jorja Smith’s Falling or Flying is quite an accomplishment and an excellent vehicle for her estimable talents. It’s a low-key yet unequivocal triumph.
2y
Kylie Minogue understands that the best kind of dance-pop is pure, undiluted joy. With Tension, she’s shown that nobody does it better than her.
2y
Lydia Loveless’ songs on her new LP tell a story of vulnerability, heartache, sadness, and yearning. She faces these issues with brilliant songwriting.
2y
On Hit Parade, Róisín Murphy takes her sound – a swirling cacophony of electropop, synthpop, and nu-disco – and looks to soul to elevate her music.
2y
Shamir’s gorgeous voice is a genderless, androgynous instrument, soulful, tight, airy, and jazzy, capable of lilting beautifully over shiny pop beats.
2y
Euphoric is a breezy, chaste recording that places producer/singer Georgia squarely into mainstream dance-pop. It’s love letter to 1990s pop.
2y
Although there are some fantastic high points and some tacky low points, Barbie: The Album pulls through with a cheeky victory.
2y
Blondie’s Against the Odds is a story of many intersections: art and commerce, punk and pop, disco and rock, femininity and masculinity, and underground with the mainstream. Against the Odds tells that story beautifully.
3y
Pop renaissance man Shamir channels trauma, rage, and feelings of angst, and in response to our troubled times, he’s released an album of uncommon beauty.
4y
30 isn’t a groundbreaking album, nor is it particularly experimental. But it’s supremely satisfying and great as a listening experience. There are no glaring missteps, and it’s generally a very good effort from a singer who could have crumbled under the pressure of heightened expectations, but instead continues on the path she forged for herself.
4y
What makes Simple, Sweet, and Smiling so extraordinary is that Kacy Hill manages to pack an emotional wallop in seemingly sentimental pop songs.
4y
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