Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Epic)
With rave reviews paving the way…a rare “10” from Pitchfork…Fiona Apple breaks her eight-year silence with Fetch The Bolt Cutters. So, does Apple’s 5th album live up to the hype?
Ron Sexsmith – Hermitage (Cooking Vinyl)
Normally, the arrival of a new Ron Sexsmith album would mean sitting through a dozen or so well-crafted songs that deal with the usual singer-songwriter tropes…heartbreak, loneliness, uh….heartbreak.
M Ward – Migration Stories (Anti-)
Despite being recorded mostly in Canada, M Ward’s 10th studio album, Migration Stories, is just about pure Americana.
Pearl Jam – Gigaton (Universal/Republic/Monkeywrench)
They’re still around! Pearl Jam present us with their first album since 2013’s Lightning Bolt. Gigaton is an album that rocks remarkably hard for a group that’s been together for thirty years.
Yumi Zouma – Truth Or Consequences (Inertia)
Now spread out between London, New York and New Zealand, the four members of Yumi Zouma have reunited for this, their third album.
Anna Calvi – Hunted (Domino): Album Review
Anna Calvi has released a reworking of her last studio album, Hunter, bringing some friends on board, including Julia Holter, Courtney Barnett and Idles’ Joe Talbot. Here’s Marty Duda’s review.
Album Review: Angie McMahon – Salt (Dualtone)
It’s not just the voice, but the overall intimacy of the songs and the recording that causes Angie McMahon’s debut album, Salt, to grab the listener’s attention.
Album Review: Black Pumas – Black Pumas (ATO)
Straight from the heart of Texas, this Austin-based duo has produced one of the best debut albums heard in years.
Album Review: Willie Nelson – Ride Me Back Home (Legacy)
Four wives, seven children, 69 studio albums and 86 years on this earth. The numbers don’t lie, Willie Nelson is an institution. And his new album proves that he just gets better with time.
Album Review: The Black Keys – Let’s Rock (Easy Eye/Nonesuch)
This new Black Keys album comes five years after their previous long player. Did they wait too long, or not long enough? I’m not sure.
Album Review: The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger (Third Man)
A mere 11 years after their previous album, The Raconteurs reconvene to bring us their third long player, Help Us Stranger.
Album Review: Chris Shiflett – Hard Lessons (East Beach/Thirty Tigers)
Foo Fighters’ guitarist Chris Shiflett sets up shop in Nashville for a quick set of country-rockers, added and abetted by Nashville’s hottest producer, Dave Cobb.
Album Review: Iron & Wine and Calexico – Years To Burn (Sub Pop)
Nearly 15 years after their first collaboration, Iron & Wine and Calexico mix it up again.
Album Review: Rickie Lee Jones – Kicks (The Other Side Of Desire/Thirty Tigers)
Rickie Lee Jones turns in her fourth (count ‘em) covers collection, and it’s a winner.
EP Review: Soaked Oats – Sludge Pop (Dot Dash/Rhythmethod)
Self-described Dunedin “sludge-pop” quartet Soaked Oats turn up with their third EP, released digitally and on 10’ coloured vinyl.
Album Review: David Bowie – Clareville Grove Demos (Parlophone)
This collection of six songs recorded as demos in early 1969 finds the young David Bowie still searching for a musical voice that will connect with an audience. That audience was just a few months away.
Album Review: Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars (Columbia)
Bruce Springsteen returns with his 19th album and first album of all new material since 2012’s Wrecking Ball.
Album Review: Neil Young & Stray Gators – Tuscaloosa (Reprise)
Neil Young’s archive series marches on with this latest concert recording from February 5th, 1973.
Album Review: The Felice Brothers – Undress (Yep Roc)
If nothing else, the Trump administration has inspired an awful lot of music lately. The Felice Brothers’ new album finds the Catskill-based band with politics on their mind and a new line-up to help get the message across.
Album Review: Faye Webster – Atlanta Millionaires Club (Secretly Canadian)
21-year-old Faye Webster has just released her third album, a record that combines her lyrics of angst and loneliness with a unique musical blend of contemporary r&b and American roots music.