Album Reviews: Mitski, Corinne Bailey Rae, Woods

 Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (New York City/Mie Prefecture, Japan) Able to capture the world by bearing her entire self again and again wholeheartedly, Mitski has nailed the swan dive on her latest album. Mixing in touches of country, intense cinematic orchestration and devastating stories,

Lykee Li’s new album “Eyeye” is drenched in malaise

 Lykke Li– Eyeye (Ystad, Sweden) The pains of love (romantic or among friends and family) can utterly devastate some, resulting in albums from artists that feel like a naked reveal of a human desperately trying to come to terms with feelings. More subdued than ever, Li is using her range

Album Reviews: Amyl and the Sniffers, Chvrches, The Killers

 Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me (Melbourne, Australia) You'd think a year stuck inside would dull the raw, live energy of these fiery Aussies, but Amyl and the Sniffers roar with a more concentrated fire than ever before. With most of the instrumental intro's trimmed down, and Amy

Album Reviews: Public Service Broadcasting, Torres, Marisa Monte

 Public Service Broadcasting - Blue Heaven & People, Let's Dance (Single) (London, England) In an era of so much isolation, it's wonderful to see a few artists finding ways to collaborate across international lines. With both Gurr's Andreya Casablanca, and EERA, the group make some true magic on these singles.

Album Reviews: Sleater-Kinney, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Migos

 Sleater-Kinney — Path of Wellness (Olympia, WA/Portland, OR) Though a more strict art-rock turn and the departure of certified drum-Goddess Janet Weiss certainly had given a mixed sense of niche to the last Sleater-Kinney record, they're asserting they're riotous as ever on their new album. With their classic bombast, a

Album Reviews: Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat, Gaspard Augé

 Tyler, The Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost (Ladera Heights, CA) After the chaotic, art-pop, start-to-finish flow of IGOR, Tyler the Creator's latest record feels more like an unpredictable pop collection that has its best moment in single songs rather than as an entire unit. Though this amounts

Album Reviews: Black Midi, Bachelor, PACKS

 Black Midi — Cavalcade (London, U.K.) Grime, freestyle and a furious melding of solo styles from both rock and jazz make every Black Midi record soar. Unpredictable as ever, this record wastes no time grabbing you and saying "Let's go all out!" This is immediately apparent as John L rolls

Album Reviews: St. Vincent, Natalie Bergman, The Vaccines

 St. Vincent — Daddy's Home (Dallas, TX) The more she dives into full-blown art-pop, the more Annie Clark's music demands repeat listens to really get into it. In a record that infuses her style with a bit of soul-era-Bowie swagger, Clark is definitely pushing limits, and playing a more take-it-or-leave-it

Album Reviews: Brijean, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Lydia Luce

 Brijean -— Feelings (Oakland, CA) While connections to Toro Y Moi give you a fraction of the picture, Brijean's hazy dance-pop is so much more than that. Shimmering harmonies, funky bass and a constant gloss that is soothing yet moving, this duo delivers a standout release of the year. The

Album Reviews: Denzel Curry, Anna B Savage, Katy Kirby

 Anna B Savage — A Common Truth (London, U.K.) Whether from its emotional content or just the mood it carries in its instrumental bones, Anna B Savages latest release has a feeling that is best described as brutal. With overwhelming sweeps of harmony and a momentum of change, this is

Album Reviews: Madlib, Altin Gün, Besnard Lakes

 Madlib — Sound Ancestors (Oxnard, California) After a heavy 2020 supply of records, and the recent passing of frequent collaborator MF Doom, Madlib would've been forgiven for taking a year off. The producer wastes no time however in creating a lush sonic tapestry, rich with tracks that fuse everything from

Album Reviews: Dirty Nil, Emma Ruth Rundle, Rhye

 The Dirty Nil — F*ck Art  (Hamilton, ON) To kick off 2021 with a thrash and a yell, The Dirty Nil are having a ton of fun on their new record. Fast, riff-heavy and personal, this record straddles indulgence and catchy energy for music that will be great to dance

Album Reviews: The Avalanches, M. Ward, Rina Sawayama

 Rina Sawayama — Sawayama (Niigata, Japan/U.K.) By going completely out in both the wild, experimental theatrics and overt pop core that we get in art-pop music now, Rina Sawayama lets loose a record that is constantly satisfying and testing your limits. This two-pronged approach means everything feels like a kick

Album Reviews: Miley Cyrus, Elvis Costello, SAAKB

 Miley Cyrus — Plastic Hearts (Franklin, TN) In her post-TV career, Miley Cyrus has constantly rotated between variations on pop, country and rock with ease. Though this leaves a lot of solo pop and rock tracks feeling a little too simple, every guest appearance track delivers and then some. "Plastic

Album Reviews: Sharon Jones, Ane Brun, Marie Davidson

 Marie Davidson & L'Oeil Nu — Renegade Breakdown (Montreal) Finding a wonderful middleground between aggressive disco and experimental music, Marie Davidson continues to chart into waters all her own with L'Oeil Nu. Cinematic, dark, but often dance-ready, this record is a trip to take in. "Renegade Breakdown" serves as a heavy

Album Reviews: Ottawa artist special

 Cody Coyote — Debwe/Manidoo Dewe'igan (Ottawa) Ojibwe/Irish artist Cody Coyote hit us with some great singles this fall, playing with vintage hip hop and modern pop. "Debwe" hits an instantly infectious high from the start, with a bass hook that doesn't quit and a seamless groove to rap on top

Album Reviews: Gorillaz, Laura Veirs, Ela Minus

 Gorillaz — Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez (London, U.K.) Trapped inside while everyone else is too, Damon Albarn has somehow managed to craft one of the sharpest Gorillaz records in a while. Whether you need the quirky tones, dancing energy, worldly collaborations or just amazing songwriting, this record delivers

Album Reviews: beabadoobee, Mary Lattimore, Touché Amore

 beabadoobee — Fake It Flowers (Iloilo City, Philippines/London, U.K.) Whether you're versed in all the trickled out releases or just hearing beabadoobee for the first time, it's hard to ignore how detailed and smooth the writing feels. In a record that dances between pop and rock with a punk sensibility, it's a

Album Reviews: Jeremy Drury, Eivør, Róisín Murphy

 Róisín Murphy — Róisín Machine (London, U.K.) Bringing a narrative charge to the world of club-driven dance tracks, Róisín Murphy let's her music enhance the moment. Kind of like LCD Soundsystem production meeting a Kylie Minogue vocal, the whole record teeters between seriousness and fun. "Simulation" brings this out in a

Album Reviews: Cults, Aiza, Fenne Lily

 Cults - Host (New York City) The only thing we seem to keep with Cults between records is moody tones, and infectious harmonies, but that keeps things interesting. The orchestra-informed pop of their latest record lands between sonic experimentation and vintage pop for a weird trip through the dark. "Trials"

Album Reviews: Angel Olsen, Dua Lipa Remix, Kelly Lee Owens

 Angel Olsen — Whole New Mess (Asheville, North Carolina) There's a magic to Angel Olsen's voice and the constantly expanding breadth of her writing that keeps every new record entrancing. What this album lacks in full-blown productions and a completely new swath of tracks, it makes up for in the

Album reviews: Kathleen Edwards, Kiesza, Helena Deland

 Kathleen Edwards  — Total Freedom (Ottawa) Following a time away from her music career, Kathleen Edwards latest music is charged with creative rawness and deeply personal stories. Her alt-country sound allows her to play out seemingly autobiographical tales with a bit of genre mystique to keep things feeling entrancing to

Album Reviews: Alison Mosshart, Glass Animals, Sweet Whirl

 Alison Mosshart — Sound Wheel (Vero Beach, Florida/Nashville) While she's usually known for dark and gritty rock between The Kills and the Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart moves to a spoken-word, experimental music mélange in her latest solo release. This is not a music record, but for those into loose poetry, weird sonic

Album Reviews: Alanis Morissette, Buscabulla, Midwife

 Alanis Morissette  — Such Pretty Forks in the Road (Ottawa) With spells in acting amongst other new ventures in her career, it's been a minute since we've heard anything from local star Alanis Morissette. With a wondrously produced and often dark introspection, this latest effort from Morissette is a mature

Album Reviews: Taylor Swift, Jessy Lanza, Liza Anne

 Taylor Swift — Folklore (West Reading, PA) Given Taylor Swift's constant ability to morph her sound every few years and still make great music, it wasn't a total shock that her shift away from overt pop stuck the landing. With a little more lyrical grit and a more blended sense