It’s no easy feat writing affecting music. Discerning ears easily separate the wheat from the chaff. James Blunt has hit the mark with his sixth studio album, “Once Upon A Mind”, featuring eleven songs that – in their disparate blend of musical styling – still form a coherent and completely … Continue Reading →

It was in 2007 that Asa, the Nigerian-French soul singer, first broke into our headphones, our playlists, and ultimately our hearts with her self-titled debut album. The album was a huge success with singles like “Jailer” and “Fire On The Mountain”. When I first heard “Jailer”, I was awestruck. Asa’s … Continue Reading →

The Brand New Heavies don’t have much left to prove. The acid jazz innovators – officially comprised of multi-instrumentalists Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew, joined by vocalist Angela Ricci for the band’s current world tour – have been exploring and revising their unique brand of funk for the past 35 … Continue Reading →

Taylor Swift’s stardom is so big that it doesn’t really require comment. It’s obvious – banal even. What’s more interesting is how unassuming and univocally likeable she’s remained after ten-plus years of certified superstar spotlight and scrutiny. Of course, Swift isn’t just a likeable personality, she’s a talented songwriter and … Continue Reading →

A veteran in R&B and beyond, Raphael Saadiq has spent decades being a musical storyteller. The artist from Oakland, California, started his career touring with Prince in the mid-80s and as a founding member of the group Tony! Toni! Tone! and has recently produced hits for musicians like Solange and … Continue Reading →

As a genre, R&B is loaded with tropes: the songs describe lost love, sensual longing, melodramatic tension, and affirmations of genuine love and connection. While there’s no problem with any of these tropes, their prevalence has, to a certain degree, led to staleness in the genre. On Elle Varner’s sophomore … Continue Reading →

On his latest studio album, “Ride Me Back Home”, Willie Nelson’s subject matter is what you might expect from a man of eighty-six: he celebrates his music, laments and accepts that he’s aging, and reminisces about his life. Although Nelson’s gentle vibrato is unmistakable, and his twangy production is familiar, … Continue Reading →

Four years after releasing “Froot”, an album with synth-pop hits as idiosyncratic as the album’s name, Marina published an album trailer for her new double album, “Love + Fear”, which formally announced and delineated the album’s theme and aesthetic. As the trailer foretold, the British singer and songwriter’s latest album … Continue Reading →

In 2014, Hozier released his self-titled first album, which, like his standout single “Take Me To Church”, effectively blended soul with folk into something that felt, broadly, like indie rock. On his second album, “Wasteland, Baby!”, Hozier plays with similar elements, but takes a more exploratory approach. The album features … Continue Reading →

The album artwork for Lily & Madeleine’s fourth album, “Canterbury Girls”, captures the Jurkiewicz sisters posing before a purple and gray swirling sky. Fairlight Hubbard’s photograph is dreamy and modern, but also brooding: the conspiratorial looks of Lily & Madeleine suggests a bond so insular and strong that they almost … Continue Reading →