ALBUM REVIEW: NAO Soars Through Space on ‘Saturn’
British R&B doubles down on her electric sound on sophomore effort.
Indie
ALBUM REVIEW: Boygenius is the Indie Rock Supergroup We Need
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus slay on their collaborative EP.
ALBUM REVIEW: Julia Holter Sacrifices Simplicity For Grandiosity on ‘Aviary’
A sprawling, dense opus that will move you to your core.
ALBUM REVIEW: Robyn Is as Sweet as Ever on ‘Honey’
A master class in seamless, universal dance pop.
ALBUM REVIEW: Neneh Cherry Is as Sharp as Ever on ‘Broken Politics’
With none other than Four Tet behind the boards.
ALBUM REVIEW: How To Dress Well Gets Dark and Gritty on ‘The Anteroom’
A brilliant hybrid of mangled sonics and sheer beauty.
ALBUM REVIEW: Kurt Vile Keeps on Keeping On on ‘Bottle It In’
Another hazy trip from the easy-going guitarman.
ALBUM REVIEW: Adrianne Lenker Strips down to Her Elements on ‘abysskiss’
An insular, stunning record from the Big Thief singer.
ALBUM REVIEW: Calvin Johnson Keeps It Weird on ‘A Wonderful Beast’
The indie legend is still having fun.
ALBUM REVIEW: Petite Noir Melds African and Western Into Something Entirely New on ‘La Maison Noir’
La Maison Noir / The Black House is the new visual EP from Petite Noir,
ALBUM REVIEW: Phosphorescent Does It Again on ‘C’est La Vie’
A feat of album craft that never overstays its welcome.
ALBUM REVIEW: Molly Burch Demonstrates Her Range on ‘First Flower’
She just doesn’t quite reach her potential.
ALBUM REVIEW: Cat Power’s Many Lives Coalesce on ‘Wanderer’
It has a quiet determination to that’s totally captivating and right for the times.
ALBUM REVIEW: Kero Kero Bonito’s ‘Time ‘n’ Place’ is a Spectacular Departure
The London trio comes through with a wild, genre-defying release.
ALBUM REVIEW: Buck Meek Does Something Different on Solo Debut
Big Thief guitarist gives aa deconstructed take on desert-fried folk, country and indie rock.
ALBUM REVIEW: Mudhoney Calls B.S. on ‘Digital Garbage’
The grunge grandaddies still have a lot to say, and it’s more poignant and needed than ever.
ALBUM REVIEW: There’s No Pretending on Villagers’ ‘The Art of Pretending to Swim’
Another stunning work of remarkable craft and nuance from Conor O’Brien.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Double Negative’ is Low’s Most Radical Album Yet
It’s nothing short of stunning.
ALBUM REVIEW: First Aid Kit Keep the Sweetness Coming on the ‘Tender Offerings’ EP
An aptly-named companion EP to ‘Ruins’.
ALBUM REVIEW: Guerilla Toss Soundtracks Modern Madness on ‘Twisted Crystal’
The Brooklyn art punks keep things crazy on their third album.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘And Nothing Hurt’ Is Spiritualized at Its Most Intimate
Another cosmic ride you’ll be glad you took.
ALBUM REVIEW: Waxahatchee Strips Her Sound Bare on ‘Great Thunder EP’
A sparse but equally stunning contrast to ‘Out In The Storm’.
ALBUM REVIEW: Thou Brings It All Together on ‘Magus’
The heavy metal alchemists have birthed their masterpiece.
ALBUM REVIEW: DeVotchKa Ride Again on ‘The Night Falls Forever’
Sounding a bit like The National if they pretended to be 1920s Russians and were into burlesque
ALBUM REVIEW: Odetta Hartman – Old Rockhounds Never Die’
Combining the folksy charm of Joanna Newsom and the seedy edge of Tom Waits.
ALBUM REVIEW: Something’s Missing on Interpol’s ‘Marauder’
But Paul Banks still knows how to wail!
ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Orange Takes On Heavy Themes on ‘Negro Swan’
The results are powerful but hard to digest.
ALBUM REVIEW: Conner Youngblood Paint Landscape Masterpiece on ‘Cheyenne’
Everything you need, and nothing you don’t.
ALBUM REVIEW: Mitski is in a League of Her Own on ‘Be The Cowboy’
She’s Iggy Pop’s favorite songwriter for a reason.
ALBUM REVIEW: El Ten Elven’s ‘Banker’s Hill Is Post-Rock at It’s Best
A truly noteworthy effort from the L.A. duo.
ALBUM REVIEW: Haley Heynderickx Will Feed Your Indie Folk Appetite with ‘I Need to Start a Garden’
Singer-songwriter spins a sparse stunner on debut album.
ALBUM REVIEW: Moses Sumney Packs An Album’s Worth of Artistry In ‘Black in Deep Red, 2014’ EP
We’ll take all we can get from Moses.
ALBUM REVIEW: Bon Iver and The National Collide on Big Red Machine
An indie rock fantasy 10 years in the making.
ALBUM REVIEW: Gia Margaret Shimmers on ‘There’s Always Glimmer’
It might just be the prettiest thing put to wax this year.
ALBUM REVIEW: Santigold Fully Embraces the Dancehall Sound on ‘The Gold Fire Sessions’
Featuring the dizzy vibrations of a Major Lazer album.
ALBUM REVIEW: Body/Head’s ‘The Switch’ Will Give You Goosebumps
Kim Gordon and Bill Nace build beckoning experimental soundscapes.
ALBUM REVIEW: Ty Segall & White Fence Have Some Sloppy Fun on ‘Joy’
They’ve probably already moved on.
ALBUM REVIEW: Pram Do What Only They Can Do on ‘Across the Meridian’
A surrealistic trip through worldly exotica, lounge, jazz, B-movies and psych-pop.
ALBUM REVIEW: The National Celebrate Their Defining Album on ‘Live in Brussels’
You may as well listen to the original.
ALBUM REVIEW: Melody’s Echo Chamber Returns for a Great Departure on ‘Bon Voyage’
Another fantastic collaboration between Melody and a modern psych great.
ALBUM REVIEW: The Internet Reach a New Synergy on ‘Hive Mind’
A personal best from the L.A. five-piece.
ALBUM REVIEW: Dirty Projectors Are Full of Surprised on ‘Lamp Lit Prose’
With more twists and surprises in 37 minutes than most bands produce in a lifetime.