This is probably Eilish’s most straightforward record yet. The beats are a mixture of of the dark synthpop and the commercial pop from her first two records, excellently mixed by Finneas as usual. Billie’s approach to falling in and out of love is mature beyond her years, if sometimes a little generic. “LUNCH” is a sly, sexy hit, one I wouldn’t expect given Eilish’s past but one she nails nonetheless. “THE GREATEST” is a lesser version of Happier ... read more

The whole time I was listening to the new Black Keys album I thought “Man, this was really Beck-inspired, wasn’t it?”, and then I find out Beck produced the whole damn thing? It all makes sense… Ohio Players is the duo’s most pleasing album in quite some time, even if it does feature some truly atrocious rap features for some reason. It’s nothing special but nothing terrible, and that’s a step above the dreck they’ve been producing for a decade ... read more

Like all sequels should be, Funeral for Justice is a natural evolution from Mdou Moctar’s breakout 2021 record Afrique Victime. These songs continue to soar over the African landscape, brilliantly played to make sure these wide open landscapes are never empty. Moctar’s lyrics are more politically charged as evidenced by the title, providing a perfect match for each fiery guitar chord.

The best Italian brothers this side of the Mario Bros. have done it again. Their second album in as many years is as perfect of a Beatles/Beach Boys imitation as you can get, from the sweet, sweet melodies to the pitch-perfect vocal harmonies to the lyrics that are so broad they really sound like something Lennon-McCartney or Brian Wilson would write. But rather than sound derivative, the duo has poured their heart into making sure these songs love their influence but don’t rip them off. ... read more

Despite its title, there’s nothing that radical or even that optimistic about Dua Lipa’s third album. Radical Optimism is a very safe effort from the superstar, full of big time pop songs that are a little too boilerplate for my liking. Songs like “French Exit” and “Happy For You” are downright robotic in their following of the pop formula they might as well be written by AI. The ABBA influence is there on “These Walls” and “Falling ... read more

Never one to sit still and rehash old ideas, Annie Clark gets as sonically dark as she’s ever been on All Born Screaming. Every song is dripping with ideas that put the art in art rock, and Clark’s performances and songwriting are as strong as they’ve ever been in my opinion. Great guest performances like Dave Grohl on the sizzling “Broken Man” only add to what might be the most memorable St. Vincent album ever.

Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, time is the only thing Here in the Pitch is short on. These meticulously crafted folk tracks will hypnotize you, starting with Pratt’s beautiful voice. She’s a match made in heaven with these hypnagogic guitars and drums that, though sparse, fill out every song with beauty and intrigue. Opener “Life Is” is like a dream, with Pratt’s hazy voice guiding us over light bongos and strings. “By Hook or by Crook” is ... read more

I think the thing that The Tortured Poets Department and its Anthology addition fundamentally misunderstand about Taylor Swift is that all Swifties want is as much of her as we can get. This bloated double album seems content with providing a litany of new music and nothing more. The beats are familiar and forgettable, and while Taylor is still a strong songwriter, it’s tough to keep things interesting across 31(!) songs. TTPD leaves little to the imagination, with every clumsy reference ... read more

Queen Bey’s much-ballyhooed country record really isn’t a country record. It’s so much more than cowboy hats and boots, borrowing from country, bluegrass, soul, rock, R&B and so much more to create a really, really great record. It’s definitely bloated and a little too defensive of its direction, but you can’t deny the creativity and excellent rhythms throughout COWBOY CARTER. She’s put her seemingly limitless resources yet again to create something ... read more

Ever since 2013’s Cerulean Salt, Katie Crutchfield has been building an empire of modern Americana. Tigers Blood is her first record as its true ruler, with Crutchfield confidently leading every song with stellar songwriting and singing. She’s finally been rightly recognized for her craft on this album that could go down as a modern classic in its genre.

The hipster legends have become their own best historians the older they’ve gotten, but rather than just rehashing old ideas, they’ve twisted and contorted their signature sound into something incredible on Only God Was Above Us. The tracks are structurally similar to 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City, but with a harsher edge that still holds together these busy compositions. A song like “Connect” may call back to “Mansard Roof” with its drum patterns, ... read more

8 years of inactivity have left Justice with plenty of rust on their sound. Hyperdrama lacks in just that, any moment of intrigue or question. It chugs along with slick, mechanical synths that fail to rise above their repetitive nature. The guests are fine but sound uninterested, and honestly, the main act does as well.

Standouts: Neverender, One Night/All Night, Mannequin Love

Kind of amazing how Kendrick just repeats known accusations of Drake being a weirdo for 6 minutes and it still goes hard.

The Lemon Twigs wear their 1970’s influences on their sleeves, but Everything Harmony thankfully doesn’t suffer from it. It’s corny and a pastiche of several sounds, but they make it work.

Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson teaming up for an album full of indie/country bliss? Sign me up. Wish I had found this when it came out because it’d have ranked highly on my year end lists in 2022.

Is this album really 10 years old this year? The chill vibes of Atlas powered me through several cram sessions in college. Hopefully the band’s upcoming album Daniel gets back to the quality of this record.

One of the most explosive and creative musical statements of the 1970’s. Maggot Brain is bookended with massive proggy epics and filled with deliciously funky and rage-inducing songs in between. “Hit It and Quit It” might be one of the wildest songs ever made. George Clinton recently got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and deservedly so for Maggot Brain alone.

Listening to Alvvays’ second album makes me understand more the hype and excitement that came with 2022’s long awaited Blue Rev. I love how brief and brisk the songs of Antisocialites tend to be, with Molly Rankin’s peppy voice being an excellent tour guide through an excellent indie rock album.

With their 7th LP, Future Islands have entered what I call “comfort food” territory. People Who Aren’t There Anymore is technically sound, frequently catchy and overall a great listen. It just isn’t anything different than we’ve heard from the band before. And that’s not a bad thing! FI are excellent at what they do, and though PWATA might not reach the heights of 2014’s Singles, it has enough catchy tracks to keep me coming back to it.

On her second full length Spanish language record, Kali Uchis flourishes. Her fluttery voice weaves these silky pop tracks together in a magnificent way, effortlessly switching languages yet never losing her magic touch. Lush is an easy word to describe Uchis’s music, but Orquideas takes it to an entirely new level. The guests all provide great performances too, with Peso Pluma on “Igual Que Un Angel” a particular highlight. It’s all familiar if you’ve heard her ... read more