Madonna, “Madame X.” Ever since she stepped into the spotlight in the ’80s, Madonna has been putting out iconic pop anthems that transcend time. She’s reinvented herself many times, so it’s surprising that her newest album Madame X falls flat in comparison. The album lacks a central theme, leading to…

For a proggy sludge metal act, incorporating hooks into chunky riffs can be tricky. After the ambitious mixed bag of Yellow & Green, Baroness pulled off the transition on Purple. The album embraced catchy vocal melodies and sonic detours without forsaking bulldozing heaviness. Baroness’ evolution continues boldly on Gold &…

Bruce Springsteen is like a big brother to a whole generation of working class romantics. He’s a role model for those just trying to find their own space to be exuberant despite being owned by bosses, coming from broken families, running from the cops and fighting the system. Now,…

Jonas Brothers, “Happiness Begins.” It’s been 10 years since the release of the last Jonas Brothers album, Lines, Vines, and Trying Times. In 2013, the band was close to releasing a follow-up before an untimely split. The personal growth of Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas during this break is summed…

Peter Frampton Band, “All Blues.” Peter Frampton has influenced the identity of loud guitar music to the point where people less than half his age have probably inadvertently heard his hits. When you’ve helped write the hard rock rulebook and collaborated with David Bowie, where do you go next?…

Considering the bottomless pit of nihilistic absurdism that is Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!, Tim Heidecker’s folk rock albums might seem relatively unassuming. Still, it wasn’t long before he rustled some jimmies with his 2017 collection of anti-Trump songs. Too Dumb For Suicide, along with Heidecker’s general…

Aurora, ‘A Different Kind of Human’ Aurora is no stranger to experimentation, but her third album, A Different Kind of Human (Step II), takes far more chances than her previous work. The Norwegian art-pop singer-songwriter takes a more imaginative approach, and it works. Each song’s distinct sound flourishes within the thematic…

Empathy has become depressingly scarce over the past four years, with polarization and animosity pulling people farther apart by the day. Kishi Bashi’s observations inform his latest album, Omoiyari. In Japanese, the title translates as creating compassion toward other people by thinking about them. It’s a heartfelt theme for…

It’s understandable that Frank Iero didn’t think he’d make solo albums. After rising to fame as the guitarist for 2000s emo titans My Chemical Romance, finding his own identity became a daunting task. He proved himself wrong twice. Now, Iero’s third outing finds him joining forces with a new…

Steven Ellison’s legacy far predates his role in Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 landmark album, To Pimp a Butterfly. As Flying Lotus, his glitchy, abstract production has continually pushed hip-hop’s artistic boundaries. In 2006, Los Angeles set a new standard for L.A. beat music, while 2010’s Cosmograma transcended genre boundaries as a nu-jazz space odyssey.…