Review: Julianna Barwick, ‘Will’
Barwick’s songs are musical inkblot tests: The voices trickle in and out, but never quite materialize into lyrical coherency. So it’s up to the listener to interpret them and ascribe personal meaning.
Category: Music
Review: Mary Chapin Carpenter, ‘The Things That We Are Made Of’
On her 14th album, a collaboration with top producer Dave Cobb, the country veteran traces her memories while still looking toward the unknown.
Review: Kacy & Clayton, ‘Strange Country’
Singer Kacy Anderson and fingerstyle guitarist Clayton Linthicum carve out plenty of room for play in their take on British and Appalachian folk and pre-electric blues.
Review: Seratones, ‘Get Gone’
On the Louisiana band’s first album, blues, classic rock and gospel come together with concision, force and a punk-rock heart.
Review: Gregory Porter, ‘Take Me To The Alley’
The popular jazz singer follows a familiar pattern on his new album: It’s acoustic, unconcerned with fashion or complexity, and both overpowering and soothing. That’s a good thing.
Review: Lera Lynn, ‘Resistor’
The singer, a veteran of TV’s True Detective, uses sensual minimalism to get at emotional truths. Hers is the sort of wistful awareness that gets under your skin.
Review: Snarky Puppy, ‘Culcha Vulcha’
To the extent that Snarky Puppy has a core sonic idea, it’s an intricate melody over a multifaceted groove, as generated by multiple horn players, guitarists, keyboardists and percussionists.
Review: The Jayhawks, ‘Paging Mr. Proust’
The long-running roots-pop band’s new music nicely re-creates a honeyed, harmony-rich sound while still expanding it in subtle, appealing ways.
Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, ‘Nonagon Infinity’
The Melbourne psych-rock septet unleashes a thoroughly realized journey, embedded in a frenzied barrage of riff-heavy head-bangers.
Review: Wire, ‘Nocturnal Koreans’
A brilliant new album by an always unpredictable band, Nocturnal Koreans is a view of the more experimental side of Wire, mysterious and potent.
Review: Carlos Niño & Friends, ‘Flutes, Echoes, It’s All Happening!’
One of Los Angeles’ beloved denizens of the soul/jazz/hip-hop underground invites the likes of Madlib and Kamasi Washington to join him in creating a moving ode to spirituality.
Mount Moriah Live At The Wilderness Bureau
On the heels of the Americana band’s third album, How to Dance, North Carolina’s Mount Moriah swung through the Wilderness Bureau…
Review: Sturgill Simpson, ‘A Sailor’s Guide To Earth’
For Simpson’s first album since his 2014 breakthrough, the inventive country singer crafts a highly personal song cycle about order and insubordination.
Review: Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop, ‘Love Letter For Fire’
With the help of producer Tucker Martine and a smart, subtle band, Hoop and Beam achieve a fine balance — of songwriting sensibilities and of time in the spotlight.
Review: John Carpenter, ‘Lost Themes II’
The filmmaker and musician, known for his work on movies such as Halloween, revisits the approach that defined his synth-heavy soundtrack work.
Review: Gallant, ‘Ology’
The young soul singer refuses to take sides in R&B’s generational divide, so his songs all sound familiar, even when they’re several things at once.
Review: Brass Bed, ‘In The Yellow Leaf’
On the Louisiana band’s fourth album, its catchy and dynamic songs sound invigorated, immediate and more forceful than ever.
Review: Heron Oblivion, ‘Heron Oblivion’
Meg Baird leads a supergroup with the skills, the background and the vision to play dark acid-folk for a modern generation.
Review: M. Ward, ‘More Rain’
On his eighth solo album, the singer and multi-instrumentalist crafts a warm, thoughtful mood piece, buoyed by guest stars but desolate where necessary.
Review: Polica, ‘United Crushers’
The Twin Cities band’s roiling, hands-on electronic music hews between dance fare that could catalyze a club and slower new-wave sounds.