Frank Valish

Sloan - Based On The Best Seller
Under the Radar
75

Expectations are always high and always met. This is nothing new. Sloan has perfected power pop. Compared to all other Sloan albums, Based on the Based Seller is right in line. Compared with everything else, it’s a 10.

T. Hardy Morris - Artificial Tears
Under the Radar
75
Throughout, Morris’ poetic lyricism, heartfelt sentiments, and understated delivery make these songs shine.
Alice Cooper - The Revenge of Alice Cooper
Under the Radar
75

The Revenge of Alice Cooper is an excellent original band comeback. It sounds as if 50 years have disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Alison Krauss - Arcadia
Under the Radar
80

In 10 songs and 35 minutes, Arcadia is perfectly emblematic of what Alison Krauss & Union Station do. These are a collection of masterful musicians coming together to lend their talents to a collection of remarkable songs that not only showcase their individual prowess but harness their collective strength.

Marshall Allen - New Dawn
Under the Radar
80

New Dawn, despite it being Allen’s official debut, is a wonderful and inspired jazz album that not only fits right in with the Sun Ra legacy but also excellently within the wider palette of jazz itself, ultimately creating a new legacy of its own for this longtime Arkestra leader.

Cursive - Devourer
Under the Radar
85

The band’s latest album, Devourer, finds Cursive back on an outside label, Run for Cover, and the album is a true tour de force.

Claude Fontaine - La Mer
Under the Radar
75
For her second album, La Mer, Los Angeles-based songwriter Claude Fontaine has picked up where her 2019 debut left off, melding tropicália, jazz, reggae, and French pop styles into a seductive montage, led at its center by Fontaine’s expressively sublime vocals.
Quivers - Oyster Cuts
Under the Radar
75

The album gets slower and more atmospheric in its last four songs, almost garnering a new aesthetic from the first six. However, Oyster Cuts is a laudable effort for Quivers’ big time label debut.

Eliza & The Delusionals - Make It Feel Like The Garden
Under the Radar
70

Make It Feel Like The Garden might not change your world, but it’ll certainly brighten your day.

Johnny Cash - Songwriter
Under the Radar
80

Co-produced by his son, Songwriter is a perfect reminder of the soul of Johnny Cash. His songwriting genius comes through each of these songs, but most impactfully, his voice cuts to the heart like it always has.

Crowded House - Gravity Stairs
Under the Radar
70

Most of Gravity Stairs revels in a certain slowness, a soft touch that often barely registers. However, amid the lightness, there are plenty of revelatory moments to be found.

Iron & Wine - Light Verse
Under the Radar
75

It finds Beam doing what he does best, refining those songwriting touches and instrumental backdrops that are present in his most captivating work.

The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards
Under the Radar
70

The biggest shoes to fill are their own, and for much of Happiness Bastards, Chris and Rich Robinson acquit themselves admirably.


April Playlist