Album Reviews
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ALBUM REVIEW: Marcus King begins to heal on ‘Mood Swings’
Marcus King, “Mood Swings.” With a deft hand on his guitar and a voice that tells a thousand stories all by itself, Marcus King lays bare struggles of substance abuse and suicidal ideation on his third solo LP, Mood Swings, all while clinging to a growing flame of resilience…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Beyoncé again proves she can do anything with ‘COWBOY CARTER’
Beyoncé, “COWBOY CARTER.” “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” asks Linda Martell—the first commercially successful Black female country artist in history—in an audio clip about halfway through COWBOY CARTER. “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand,” she continues, “But in practice, well, some…
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ALBUM REVIEW: X Ambassadors take it back home and reflect on ‘Townie’
X Ambassadors, “Townie.” On their new album, Townie, X Ambassadors reminisce on their childhood memories and life in upstate New York. Townie X Ambassadors Virgin, April 5 8/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. The fifth album by brothers Sam and Casey Harris consists of 12 tracks laced with smooth guitar…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Sheryl Crow dreams of a brighter future on ‘Evolution’
Sheryl Crow, “Evolution.” Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow is showing no signs of slowing down with her 11th album, Evolution. She had said after releasing 2018’s Threads that she was done making albums. But if her return with Evolution is proof of anything, it’s that some introspection and solitude…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Kenny Chesney ‘BORN’ again on new LP
Kenny Chesney, “BORN.” Still living life to the fullest, country superstar Kenny Chesney is BORN again with a new 15-track album that’s comforting and familiar in the best ways. BORN Kenny Chesney Warner Nashville, March 22 7/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. Chesney has written his fair share…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Fletcher almost soars while ‘In Search of the Antidote’
Fletcher, “In Search Of The Antidote.” “Here I fucking go again,” sings New Jersey native Cari Fletcher—better known as Fletcher—in the first lyric of her sophomore LP, In Search of the Antidote. Just a few years into her career, the rising pop star has performed with Miley Cyrus and…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Elbow returns with a vengeance on ‘Audio Vertigo’
Elbow, “Audio Vertigo.” Some fans of Elbow found the U.K. band’s previous album, pandemic-era Flying Dream 1 (2021) to be a little too quiet and sleepy. They’ll be glad to hear that its newest outing, Audio Vertigo, is louder, darker, heavier and wittier. Audio Vertigo Elbow Polydor/Geffen, March 22…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Gary Clark Jr. gets real on ‘JPEG RAW’
Gary Clark Jr., “JPEG RAW.” Gary Clark, Jr. makes it clear with his new album that he doesn’t want to be only a blues guitar prodigy anymore. JPEG RAW Gary Clark, Jr. Warner, March 22 8/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. His fourth album, JPEG RAW, arrives five…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Justin Timberlake looks back on ‘Everything I Thought It Was’
Justin Timberlake, “Everything I Thought It Was.” Justin Timberlake effectively dances around the elephant in the room throughout his sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was. Amid a groundswell of demand—from some—for an *NSYNC reunion album or tour, he instead made an 18-track solo set. That’s not to say…
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ALBUM REVIEW: DragonForce accelerates to ‘Warp Speed’ on new LP
Dragonforce, “Warp Speed Warriors.” Hold on tight. That’s about the only advice one can give when going on a spin with Warp Speed Warriors, the latest album by English power metal quintet DragonForce. Warp Speed Warriors DragonForce Napalm, March 15 7/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. It’s difficult…