"Love Deluxe" is an exquisite and sentimental jazz/ambient hybrid containing some of Sade's best songs including "Feel No Pain" and "Pearls". Lyrically, the band sings of love, unemployment, poverty and sorrow. Co-produced and co-written by Sade Adu - "Love Deluxe" is one of the strongest albums from the early 1990s. Adu provides smooth, stunning vocals and pours her soul into every track. Many of the tracks on this record are stand-outs but there is a ... read more

"Body Language" is rich, sensual and full of life; in other words, one of Minogue's finest records. Featuring phenomenal production from Johnny Douglas, Julian Gallagher and Richard Stannard along with Kylie's sultry vocals, many of the tracks on this record are sonically heavenly. Sonically, "Body Language" is a departure from Minogue's style but one that completely pays off.

Favorite Tracks: Chocolate, Red Blooded Woman, Loving Days, Cruise Control & Promises.

Paloma Faith's "The Architect" is one of her best records and arguably her most ambitious. Faith touches on multiple themes including her sexuality, feminism, motherhood, toxic masculinity, climate change, etc. "The Architect" as a title is a great innuendo, working to describe Faith's role as a mother and mother nature's role in mankind's existence. However, what keeps this project from being better, aside from a couple of forgettable, second-rate tracks is Faith's lack of ... read more

"Live Through This" is a superb alternative rock/grunge record dealing with themes of beauty, rape, exploitation, domestic violence, etc. Courtney Love brilliantly pours her heart and soul into every song and makes the listener feel exactly what she is trying to convey. Produced phenomenally by Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade, the record features a more polished, refined sound than most grunge material from the time period. From track number one, Love is in absolute control and ... read more

Dropping the "and the Diamonds" from her name, Marina's "Love + Fear" was not only released under a different name but a seemingly different person altogether. Marina abandons many of the elements that made her unique in the past and opts for a more conventional, radio-friendly pop record. "Love + Fear" is both the name of the record and the two individual parts in which the record is divided into; the first 8 tracks making up "Love" and the last 8 tracks ... read more

"★" aka "Blackstar" is Bowie's harrowing, melancholic reflection on his life. The music icon sings about mortality, time and his life both professional and personal. Produced by David Bowie himself and Tony Visconti, "★" is a raw, multi-faceted swan song blending art rock and jazz. Lyrically, the record's content is poignant due to Bowie's powerful vocal performance and the fact that he was aware of his life coming to an end. The opening lines to ... read more

Embracing jazz and soul influences, "Honeymoon" sees Lana Del Rey infusing her sound with that of her idols, namely, Billie Holiday. Lyrically, the record contains some of Del Rey's best work including the title track which works as a double entendre for a tumultuous love and for a letter to fans, opening with "We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me". Another interesting track is "Art Deco", in which Del Rey sings or alludes to a bygone era (the ... read more

Glitter, cowboy boots and a dancefloor - Kylie Minogue's "Golden" is a catchy pop record heavily rooted in country and dance music. Lyrically, there are nice moments on Minogue's 2018 release but the record feels dismembered, not quite whole. Aside from the forgettable tracks on the album; including "Live a Little" and "Low Blow" - "Golden" is a decent addition to the pop icon's discography.

Favorite Tracks: Stop Me From Falling, Dancing, Lost Without ... read more

Brandi Carlile's sixth studio album "By the Way, I Forgive You" is a wonderful Americana record. Carlile's vocal performance is fantastic and lyrically, the singer sings of motherhood, same-sex marriage, empathy and love. The record contains the empowering "The Joke", which became a huge hit for Carlile. A strong effort from the singer, songwriter full of raw and moving tracks.

Favorite Tracks: The Joke, Party of One, The Mother, Hold Out Your Hand & Most Of All.

"Beware of the Dogs" is a fantastic debut record from Welsh-Australian singer, songwriter Stella Donnelly. The album is incredibly well-written and essentially every song is packed with a relevant issue and glossy production. Donnelly sings of male accountability, victim blaming, rape, sexism and female autonomy; an absolutely stellar project and a stand-out from 2019.

Favorite Tracks: Old Man, Watching Telly, Tricks, Boys Will Be Boys & Lunch.

"Born to Die" is a great baroque pop record; containing beautiful melodies, orchestral-like production & at times - great lyrics. Lana Del Rey sings mainly about love and death throughout the record, at times playfully like in "Off to the Races", at times reminiscent like in "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" but always in her own style. This record was under strong scrutiny upon its release, however, in reality that scrutiny was more of Del Rey herself ... read more

Diana Ross' 1973 record "Touch Me in the Morning" was one of her many releases under the Motown label, this one, however, contains a few fantastic songs from the music icon. The record opens with the title-track, which would become a major hit for Ross and is followed by "All Of My Life", one of the strongest tracks I've heard from Ross' repertoire. "Touch Me in the Morning" closes with "Brown Baby/Save The Children", a moving medley addressing racial ... read more

Written and co-produced by Fiona Apple herself, "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do" is a piercing record. Apple's vocal performance throughout this project is expressive and emotive. Lyrically, "The Idler Wheel..." mainly touches on themes of romance as well as being an introvert, loneliness, depression and destructive love. Overall, a strong and cohesive effort from the American singer, ... read more

"MAGDALENE" is emotional, unique, unashamed and intimate. FKA twigs delivers a great vocal performance full of beautiful, melodic moments accompanied by intricate, crystal clear production and instrumentation. Conceptually, the album is glorious; twigs finds her voice and attempts to alter the way people see Mary Magdalene or at the very least show different facets to the religious icon by attaching herself to the image of the famed "whore". Mary Magdalene is often seen as a ... read more

"Arrival" is a beautiful euro pop + disco hybrid record containing some of the band's greatest hits. Fun, catchy and emotional - this record undoubtedly ranks amongst the band's best work. From the opening track "When I Kissed The Teacher", the band is relentless and doesn't let up until the very last track "Happy Hawaii". Fantastic melodies, lyrics and vocals are definitely ahead for any future listeners.

Favorite Tracks: Fernando, Dancing Queen, My Love, My ... read more

"Blood" is the fantastic debut record from singer, songwriter Kelsey Lu. The record contains mainly melancholic, melodic violin ballads and Lu sings for the most part of love and freedom. "Blood" features production credits from Lu herself and Jamie xx of The xx.

Favorite Tracks: Due West, Poor Fake, I'm Not In Love, Foreign Car & Blood.

Blondie's "Parallel Lines" is a masterpiece; containing tracks that range from new wave to punk to pop rock and disco. Featuring fantastic production from Mike Chapman and a heavenly vocal delivery from Debbie Harry, this record is arguably the band's greatest effort. Harry sings of doomed love, obsession, loneliness and even of Marilyn Monroe.

Favorite Tracks: Heart of Glass, Picture This, One Way Or Another, Fade Away And Radiate & Hanging On The Telephone.

"New Skin for the Old Ceremony" is an emotionally piercing record; Leonard Cohen sings beautifully with a haunting vulnerability of death, religion, love, war and appearance. The record contains a more intricate and large sound in terms of instrument incorporation in comparison to Cohen's earlier work. One of the greatest records of the early 1970s, "New Skin for the Old Ceremony" helped further cement Cohen's status as a poet in the world of music.

Favorite Tracks: A ... read more

"Hounds of Love" is a haunting, cohesive and overall masterful project. Brilliantly crafted, this record is Kate Bush at her best; written and produced by the icon herself. Utterly dramatic, epic and above everything else - stunning. Mixing medieval-esque folk influences with more modern art-pop and rock elements, the record is highly experimental and showcases Bush's incredible talent.

Favorite Tracks: Hello Earth, Cloudbusting, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Under Ice ... read more

"Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" is a strong effort from Paloma Faith. The record is mainly pop with some soul elements and features production credits from Greg Kurstin, Samuel Dixon & Ed Harcourt. There are some great tracks on this project including "My Legs Are Weak" & "Play On" but the album has its flaws - from underwritten songs to very mediocre tracks like "Broken Doll". However, for the most part "Do You Want the Truth ... read more