Seventeen years ago, when Sam Beam first ventured into more adventurous sonic territory with The Shepherd's Dog, reviews were rife with Van Morrison, Astral Weeks comparisons. I didn't hear it at the time (and still don't). Light Verse, however, feels to me like the realization of that promise and culmination that fuses the intimare and grounded lyrical inclinations of his earliest recordings with gorgeous chamber folk explorations. There's no muddy psychedelia here to ... read more

Annie Clark is a phenomenal musician and this album demonstrates her penchant for creating songs full of sultry, seductive grooves. The lyrics turn toward wry observation of the human condition, but all too often get buried by the production choices that have dominated her past couple of releases. Instead of a varied sonic pallete, this album feels a bit one-note (albeit, one note done well), and as such, a bit exhausting owing to the monotony. My ears seek variety. If the album pacing and ... read more

Local Natives have always had an ethereal, plaintive sound. And this is more of the same, tempered. Beautiful, lush, and temporary on the eardrum. A few lyrics here and there emerge from the wash to grab the listener's attention, then the vocals recede back into the swirl. A pleasant album, but one where it's difficult to remember any particular track (or even discern where the album moves between tracks).

Starsailor started with a great one-two punch of albums, but after that seemed to lose their way. It's hard to put my finger on what exactly happened. So when I saw a new album, I thought "perhaps this a resurgence?" Unfortunately, no. The passing years have sapped James Walsh's voice of any vigor and the songwriting is largely flaccid. The arrangement and production choices similarly do no favors to the songs, further diminishing any sense of urgency that may have once ... read more

James were never my favor of the Britpop set. That said, they have a distinctive approach centered around Tim Booth's familiar feeling, yet somehow oblique, songwriting quirks. His occasional bursts of directness or penchant for odd idioms sometimes works and sometimes feels forced. Here, the lyrics are a mixed bag of trite observations about the modern world and (sometimes cringeworthy) celebrations of love and positive thought. But that's usually been the case with any James record. ... read more

Unpredictable music is something that brings me joy. It allows me to feel like I'm hearing music again for the first time. And so I've been seeking the unexpected more and more. Spirit of the Beehive taught me something important with You'll Have to Lose Something, however--apparently it's unexpected beauty that beguiles me. All too often, when any loveliness comes to the fore, it is swept aside (the horrors of rap-rock emerge in a place or two, chamber arrangements ... read more

Sometimes, all it takes is one song to unlock an album, so its meaning and intent unfurls before the listener. For me, it was several songs in with "Mastermind Specialism." It drops the rock pretense and strides forward with cutting lyricism, embodying a meal boiled in a bag. From there, the rest of the album made sense. Thoughtful production and punk-inflected, post-rock arrangements abound. What initially seems like it'll lack a diversity of soundscapes, gives way to a ... read more

This is an album that gets by on production alone. To see the widespread critical and user praise, I feel like I must be missing something. Perhaps it is just end of summer euphoria. Admittedly, I'm not a dance music afficionado, but if this is the best the idiom can offer this year, it doesn't say much for me liking the rest of the genre. The songwriting and lyrics are lazy and unmemorable. The closest it gets to anything catchy is the Broken Social Scene, "Anthems for a ... read more

Coming up on 30 years of the Pernice Brothers, I'm amazed at the tonal stability of Joe Pernice's delicate, breathy vocals. The songwriting and production have been consistent too. Pleasant, low-key indie pop with a knack for comfortable melody and variable chamber-esque arrangements. The harmonies, as always with the Pernice Brothers, are another highlight. Few of the songs stick with me beyond listening, but while the record spins, it captures the attention. Another solid release ... read more

Albums don't have to break new artistic ground to be good. Revelator is an example of that. It's in keeping with what we've come to expect from Phosphorescent since Muchacho--mid-tempo, lumbering Americana (occasionally sprinkled with Tropicalia) with a sleepy, warbly vocal delivery, accentuated by lush choral harmonies. Houck's albums are always a swirl of muted sonic textures and sepia-tone melancholy/nostalgia such that they are easy listens during which to lose focus on ... read more

A real kitchen-sink record when it comes to production and arrangements--this makes it an enjoyable and engaging listen, worthy of coming back to again and again (it unfurls itself over repeated listens). Lyrically and melodically, it's a little less immediate than Koening's previous work (though that feeling could also be a result of the adventurous production). If there are fewer instant earworms here (not to say there are none), it's because this album is a grower, able to ... read more

Dent May has settled into something of a rut since his Magnificent Ukulele introduction to the world. The music is pleasant, Beach Boys-esque, easy listening, AM-Gold. (Though perhaps it's just his demure, falsetto-littered tenor that gives me that impression.) There are clever little moments in the lyrics. The quotidian mundane is ultimately the point with May's songwriting. That said, the modern production and pop flourishes undermine the sonics here--for me retro projects most ... read more

A difficult album to rate because of its expansiveness and complexity. Side A (through "DAUGHTER") is a tight, largely reverent gospel-inflected take on country music. Thus, as the record shifts and evolves in its second half, I can see why so many think Beyonce lost the plot or didn't actually make a "country" record. These people are wrong, of course--it is playful and toying with generic expectations. Upon repeated listens, subtleties emerge like how the Italian ... read more

Tigers Blood picks up right where Waxahatchee's previous record, Saint Cloud, left off. It builds on the twangy country arrangements and effortless melodicism by adding an increased helping of male vocal harmonies that only enrich and diversify the sonic texture. Album opener, "3 Sisters" is perfectly patient, waiting over two minutes until the full band arrangement kicks-in. Crutchfield's lyricism and phrasing are even more refined throughout Tigers Blood, but what stands ... read more

A more upbeat, rock-forward album from Elbow, full of electric guitars, great stabs of choral harmonies, and Guy Garvey's pure voice at the center. The recipe for Elbow albums has been consistent for over a decade and it keeps resulting in great albums. Unlike other bands whose output varies, you know what you're going to get with a new Elbow album and they have thus far never failed to deliver. They are always "in the pocket." Highlights here are the syncopated ... read more

Bright Future finds Adrianne Lenker in top form, carrying forward the momentum from recent releases with her other band Big Thief. The album starts out in an understated fashion with muted piano and melancholic musings in "Real House." That beguiling beginning gives way to the earworm melody and Emmy Lou Harris-reminiscent vocals of "Sadness as a Gift." Another highlight is the reinterpretation of "Vampire Empire" (which appears in another, more electric form as a ... read more

I've been a Travis fan since The Man Who came out and I heard "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" As such, I've followed all of their releases since then. L.A. Times is typical of late-era Travis--which is to say, there are a couple highlights, a bulk of tracks that act as furniture music, and a couple that I always want to skip. Fran's vocals are still a highlight (though the falsetto and doubled vocal production on "Bus" and "Live It All Again" are ... read more

Over the past couple decades, Islands have been one of the most consistently great album-making bands. What Occurs continues that tradition. With an Islands record, you know what you're getting. Melodic wizardry, wry lyrics, and hooks galore. While it's not their strongest album, it doesn't count as week. "What Occurs" is a great opening. Thornburn wanted to make a more immediate band record than the more synthesized/polished Islomania and And That's Why Dolphins ... read more

My first introduction to the Milkweed Society. Struck me more like a half-formed idea than a proper album, but nonetheless an intriguing effort that could serve as a springboard full of ideas/techniques worth expanding on in the future. It succeeds in feeling like a relic from the past with all of the tape hiss, static, and record pops. The melding with drum beats is tantalizing. Definitely will keep an eye on this crew.

This is an album full of clever wordplay and straightforward modern, indie singer-songwriter sensibilities. The arrangements are tasteful and non-distracting. May's vocals have a pure tone that melds well with her gently sloshing melodies--the slightest hint of twang is reminiscent of the current crop of indie singer-songwriter female voices like Lucy Dacus, Caitlin Rose, and others. A real quality EP that I find myself returning to again and again. Perhaps because of its brevity, but more ... read more