Chicken or egg question: Is an artist’s character informed through the work he produces, or is it the work produced that is informed by his character? On his sophomore album, Limbo, Portland rapper Aminé explores his identity through talking about his hometown, the largest influences in his life and the experiences…

With six albums and numerous headlining tours, Luke Bryan has made his definitive stamp on country music. As one of the more distinctive voices in the genre, Bryan continues to command attention and garner some of the best sales in the industry. Yet, his distinct style and repeated tropes…

The echoing single bass drum kick and string-like synths that slowly launch “Foundation,” the opening track on the new collaborative album by ODESZA and Golden Features—as BRONSON—could have scored a trailer for “Jurassic World.” The aptly titled song is our doorway into a world of high vistas and deep…

A Hero’s Death, the sophomore album from Fontaines D.C. simmers with quiet defiance. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed and Mercury-Prize-nominated debut, Dogrel, it was initially recorded in Los Angeles before being scrapped and rerecorded in London. Helmed by Dogrel producer Dan Carey, the album expands on the sonic palette of…

Steve Howe has recorded 21 solo albums over a 45-year period—and, incidentally, has been a major instrumental voice in Yes, perhaps the pre-eminent progressive rock group over the past half-century. If you count his work with Yes and with the more pop-oriented Asia, along with his solo work, Howe…

The raspy voice of Richard Butler, the lead singer of The Psychedelic Furs, gave voice to Duckie’s sandpapered heart in the 1986 film “Pretty in Pink.” In fact, Butler’s voice and the band’s synthesized swagger provided the soundtrack of the ’80s for the drama undergone by hairspray-addled teens moping about…

Lupe Fiasco is known for his avant-garde conceptual albums that explore a wide array of abstract and concrete ideas, presented in a highly accessible format. On his newest EP, HOUSE, he maintains that thoughtful disposition that permeates his catalog. The EP has a structure that’s familiar to his prior works…

Hip-hop superstar Logic announced his retirement from music with the release of his final studio album, No Pressure. Sir Robert Bryson Hall II has faced an array of highs and lows surrounding his releases, ranging from the critically revered Everybody to the universally despised Supermarket. With many critiquing his work as corny for his focus…

Taylor Swift’s rise from country star to pop icon had lows to match highs. Considering the abysmal, transparent coping mechanism that was 2017’s Reputation, all 2019’s Lover had to do was not be embarrassing. It wasn’t, but the album’s overblown pop sound felt more detached from her singer-songwriter roots…

Jessy Lanza’s third album, All the Time, is, at its core, a study in contrasts. All the Time Jessy Lanza Hyperdub, July 24 7/10 Like its predecessors, the electro-pop LP blends neo-soul vocals with elements of electronica. Where Lanza’s All the Time differs is that leans much harder into the former…