Dwight is admirably consistent in the quality of his songwriting and delivery. Brighter Days is not significantly different in that regard. However, production-wise, this album features an over-driven, hyper-compressed sound that is flat compared to the spaciousness of his older releases--the brrak with Pete Anderson continues to reverberate in that regard. Lyricallu, the cool outsider act is harder to pull off for someone pushing 70, as are the straight-up honky-tonk rollickers (e.g. ... read more

The perspective that comes with hindsight is always enlightening. Neon Bible was back before Arcade Fire was fully drunk on their own myth (just a little tipsy) and Win Butler's ego-tripping was quaint (as opposed to destructively delusional). The Springsteen-esque song forms. The orchestral, organ-laden arrangements. The urgent, naivety of the lyrics. It all comes together as a solid indie rock record. Perhaps even the high point of their career in terms of consistency of quality.

The ... read more

One of my favorite things about the retro-soul revival over the past 20 years is that there always seems to be someone willing to step in and carry the torch. From the mainstream splash of Amy Winehouse, Raphael Saadiq, and Sharon Jones to more recent efforts from Leon Bridges and Durand Jones (just to highlight a small handful), as one artist moves on from the sonic recreationism, another appears to mine a different vein in the expansive Motown/soul-iverse. Thee Sacred Souls are some of the ... read more

I don't have any real fluency in Spanish, but a friend of mine down in Argentina, knowing my predilection for concept records, recommended I give this album a try. Admittedly, with a project like this, understanding the lyrical content is probably pretty important. Based on the music alone, the song forms, instrumentation, or vocals don't stand out to me as noteworthy--it all sounds like fairly run of the mill latin alt-rock. The production is all fairly flat and polished to a sheen ... read more

When I woke up this morning, I did not anticipate listening to a noisy, screamo, indie rock record. And if I had, I would not have anticipated enjoying it to the degree that I did Foxing. I chalk this up to strong, melody-rich songwriting and arrangements that always kept me guessing. By track 4, the screaming recedes to the point where the music has more in keeping with the Rural Alberta Advantage or TV On the Radio than it does with the spasmatic outbursts of the first few songs. At times it ... read more

This sort of nu-metal-inflected post-rock has never been my bag, but I dutifully gave it a spin. I may not know the genre descriptors but I still know that I don't like it. Predictable distorted guitar lines, muted vocals, and unintelligible lyrics. A muddled, morose, and monotonous sound. The songs themselves lack anything that really captures the ear. There's a place for music like this, and I'm sure it speaks to some, but for me it's far more boring than it is ... read more

A lot of artists could learn the benefits of brevity expressed here. Match of the Century achieves exactly what it needs to in the course of its 16-minute runtime, offering an engaging opener and a variety of sonic textures, sometimes veering between them within the same song. The song structures are likewise familiar but feature unusual chord shifts. Top that off with clever lyrics that occasionally come to the fore ("All the People" and "Fireman!" are the most notable in ... read more

This record, as a collection of brief songs, comes across as more of a series of mood pieces than a cohesive statement. I appreciate the diverse sonic pallette and production experimentation. While Dawson's stated Kanye influences are evident on tracks like "The Boy and the Swan," the overall aesthetic for me felt closer to the pop/soul experimentation of James Blake. And yet, despite its positives, the aforementioned lack of coherence holds this one back. The lyrics are all too ... read more

Sometimes, brevity can be powerful, but here, it makes for nothing more than a slight and boring EP. The fact that Justin Vernon is constantly willing to push boundaries and explore new sonic frontiers is something I respect and admire. However, SABLE, (the pretentious obtuseness of the album and track titles since 22, A Million... is admittedly aggravating) is just too short to really explore or develop ideas in any meaningful fashion. Vernon's lyrics have always felt secondary to me, ... read more

A lovely instrumental guitar record that stands nicely alongside offerings from the current crop of new primitive guitarists like James Blackshaw, William Tyler, Marisa Anderson, or Daniel Bachman. Johnson's compositions are not overly complex or densely layered, instead relying on an easygoing melodicism to carry the day. There are hints of minimalist impulse here and there, but overall, the songs evolve and shift to a degree such that they rarely settle into that ... read more

While I'm not familiar with Buckingham Nicks, I am familiar with Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks' output, so can imagine what that grail album might have sounded like at a formative moment in their musical careers. What's more, I'm a longtime fan of Andrew Bird for both for his songwriting, but also his technical proficiency. And that proficiency is on display here--fantastic playing and arrangements, with solid vocals. Madison Cunningham is a perfect foil and the two blend ... read more

A hyper-kinetic and unceasingly propulsive record. The first song "Blues" is a bewildering flutter of guitar lines with impassioned talk-singing overlaid. What then follows in succeeding tracks is a crazed Louis Prima meets Buena Vista Social Club meets drunken busker act that is at once engrossing and overwhelming. Welcoming jazz-like chordal explorations and playful arrangements reminiscent of groups like Pepe Deluxe are matched with the repulsive energy of the lascivious lyrics ... read more

Show-tuney and sacharrine. Like listening to a British "Pump Boys & Dinettes." Maybe even an up-market Ray Stevens record. The production gives the impression of flat, faultless midi instruments, robbing the album of any hint of musical soul. The lyrics are smarmily clever. It all combines into something quite hard to stomach.

The British critics trip over themselves to proclaim Hearon's "national treasure" status--such effusive fawning, while in keeping with the ... read more

Late-career folk albums are always a bit dubious. Sometimes rekindled artistic passions are better left to rest. However, there are notable exceptions when outside producers/collaborators come in to reinvigorate the proceedings (like Rick Rubin with Johnny Cash). I can't say that I'm familiar with Zimmerman's earlier work, but this collaboration with Big Thief sounds effortless (and coterminous with that band's and Adrianne Lenker's work in general). The lyrics often ... read more

Leon overflows with laid-back soul vibes, recalling but not recreating the Motown-revivalist sounds of Bridges' previous albums. The songs are quiet and the lyrics, reflective, tinged with sepia-toned nostalgia and longing. While this isn't necessarily a recipe for an immediately gripping listen, i have a feeling this album may end up being a slow burn, getting better the more it's spun. Lead single, "Peaceful Place," along with "Simplify" and "Panther ... read more

Pure laziness. I remember when Coldplay releases were heralded and filled with solid britpop. The dance-pop turn that began on Mylo Xyloto continues to expand like a black hole of over-exuberant positivity, sucking down and obliterating most anything resembling a good song idea or non-vapid lyric. An endless string of high-profile guests on succeeding albums has yielded ever-diminishing returns. (I'd like to see them make a stripped down rock record again, but Martin's songwriting ... read more

A noisy and discordant album punctuated by occasional instrumental hooks. I have to agree with @Mellesteen here--this album exudes pretension in a way that distances the listener. If I can hear you trying to be artsy, you are not succeeding. There will be those who argue that this is the whole point of Xiu Xiu, but for me, none of it lands particularly well--the affected talk-singing, the eschewing of traditional song structures, the noise--all of it feels more like a call for attention rather ... read more

Night Reign is a lovely record that continues Aftab's penchant for fusing jazz and traditional song forms. On top of original compositions and poetic settings, the album intermixes striking, spare interpretations of standards like "Autumn Leaves." The tasteful solos and thoughtful arrangements work in concert with the songs to create a meditative, swirling mood for the listener.

So many of the critics, in searching for something to say about Night Reign, revert to clumsy ... read more

Cassandra Jenkins is a songwriter whose lyrics tend toward specificity. Rather than grasp for vague universalisms, she trusts the listener to draw their own conclusions--something I appreciate. Sonically, her understated delivery (and overall songwriting approach) fits nicely alongside contempraries like Andy Shauf or Mitski. My Light, My Destroyer features strong production work that sounds at once modern and ripped from late 80s or 90s singer-songwriter modalities. "Aurora, IL" is ... read more

For the last couple decades, Birght Eyes has descended into a post-Wide Awake, Casadagian plateau of protest songs and country rock stylings. The albums are consistently serviceable. Oberst's songwriting often seems a thing of arrested development--like he never outgrew his early aughts cynicism.

The lack of critical coverage suggests a band in its mid-career, where the fanbase is established and the artist is not trying to make waves or draw in new adherents. In other words, it all feels ... read more