musicmagpie55

Sounding like the polyamorous love-child of Wye Oak, Grizzley Bear, and First Aid Kit, The Staves' lush folk-pop album takes me back to the early 2010s. With strong harmonies but rather flaccid songwriting, Good Woman sounds great but doesn't give much more than that. I wanted to fall head over heels for these melodic ladies but felt let down by anemic choruses that float in one ear and exit without leaving a mark. The album is so successful at capturing that warm glow folk/rock production that ... read more

Tamara Lindeman's new album, Ignorance, is lush, dramatic, and on the pulse of the decade's early critical trends. She makes female-led rock music with roots in singer-songwriter/folk far more than in the history of rock or punk. She sounds right at home with other contemporary artists (Phoebe, Angel, etc.) who are reinvigorating 'indie' rock with brighter production, an ear for pop melodies, and polished arrangements. Lindeman pairs this sonic landscape with lyrics that attempt to process her ... read more

Light, bright, and refreshingly straightforward, Pearl Charles' new album draws on 1970's AM radio pop to create a cohesive, if not a little predictable project. Pearl clearly understands how to create songs that showcase her voice. The melodies are sharp and memorable, especially the more upbeat tracks. Her writing style reminds me of Carole King, The Carpenters, Carly Simon, and even a bit of Simon & Garfunkel. The songs are easy to hum, and many tracks stay with you long after the album ... read more

The iteration of Fleetwood Mac right before the Buckingham/Nicks era sees the group flirting with pop far more than earlier albums. This is largely due to Christine McVie taking a larger role in the songwriting and overall structure of the album. While it still feels like a collection of people making music rather than a group, hearing these early pop nuggets in Fleetwood Mac's history confirms that McVie is the driving pop force of the group; Lindsay and Stevie were just adding to an already ... read more