Sharon Van Etten, “Remind Me Tomorrow.” Rock musicians embracing synths has become a bit routine, but a well-rounded artist like Sharon Van Etten can still do so not only gracefully, but transcendently. This New York songwriter has spent more than a decade developing her complex harmonies and intimate sonics,…

Much like the subconscious mind, the world of dream pop is a multidimensional place. An atmospheric rush of instrumentals offers an escape from reality as introspective lyrics present an opportunity for self-reflection. The genre’s prominence in the 1980s also conjures nostalgia for legendary bands like Cocteau Twins and The…

Like fellow Gothenburg metal rockers In Flames and At The Gates, Soilwork may always live in the shadow of its early work. Elitists will die on the hill of 1998’s Steelbath Suicide, but the impact of 2000’s melodic death metal classic The Chainheart Machine lives on in countless modern…

Nigerian-born, Birmingham, England-raised soul singer Jacob Banks has been enriching the R&B, soul and hip-hop landscape for the better part of a few years. With a powerful baritone delivery  that borders on operatic (not unlike fellow U.K. vocalist Rag’n’Bone Man), Banks’ music is as gripping as it is dense.…

LP, “Heart to Mouth.” Whether it’s the self-cannibalization of acts like Greta Van Fleet or the advent of boneless pop-rockers like Imagine Dragons, 2010s rock has largely become over-polished, non-threatening and creatively bankrupt. It’s a state of affairs Angeleno LP (Laura Pergolizzi) combats on their fifth studio album. Having…

Van Morrison, “The Prophet Speaks.” After 39 studio albums, Van Morrison manages to blend jazzy covers and soulful originals for his latest offering, The Prophet Speaks. Where roughly half of the album is an ode to classic artists like J.D. Harris and Sam Cooke, the rest takes Van Morrison back…

It’s been two years since L.A. blues rockers 7Horse released Livin’ in a Bitch of a World, and as 2018 comes to a close, Superfecta comes out to play. Singer-drummer Phil Leavitt and guitarist-bassist Joie Calio maintain their love for the hard-riffing blues rock of their previous three records.…

The 1975, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.” Conversations these days embrace a plethora of expressions popularized in 2018, from encouraging others to “go off” to calling a good friend “fam.” But another buzzword to look out for, usually in a warier sense, is “oversharing.” More specifically, searching for…

Hot off the surprise release of two albums early this year, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Romano finishes 2018 strong with his eighth LP. Finally Free flexes his combination of stripped-down jangle pop and the beautiful harmonies and arrangements of classic British Invasion. The album could get by on its musical…

Since at least the time when an angsty adolescent Hamlet was hanging out in cemeteries talking to skulls, teens have been into death. In the late ’80s, I dyed my hair black and listened to all kinds of morose music, probably to freak my parents out, or maybe it…