Album Reviews: The Smile, Future Islands, Elliphant

 The Smile – Wall of Eyes England Despite its appearance as simply a Radiohead side project, The Smile’s lean into experimental and dense writing has proven to be equally, if not more, satisfying to listen to as of late for some. Refocusing the band members’ unique talents through a more

Album Reviews: Kali Uchis, The Vaccines, Marika Hackman

 Kali Uchis – Orquídeas Alexandria, VA/Colombia Coming off what may be the best new benchmark for her style and overall sound on last year’s Red Moon in Venus, Kali Uchis is back already with a much more experimental and genre-hopping album. While it certainly loses that album cohesion, this latest

Album Reviews: Hannah Georgas, Dizzy, Hiss Golden Messenger

 Hannah Georgas – I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Care (Newmarket, Ontario/Vancouver, British Columbia) Ever since her second record, Hannah Georgas has infused her music with a kind of galactic level of mesmerizing sonics, making each album a kind of emotion-driven trip to the stars. Amidst her most

Album Reviews: Be Your Own Pet, Cindy Wilson, Flasher

 Be Your Own Pet – Mommy (Nashville, TN) When they broke up 15 years ago, Be Your Own Pet had some of the most furious punk albums of the era, and now they’ve returned to fight for their spot on top again. While we never expected any album from them

Powerhouse Miles Kane Mixes Vintage Pop Pith Modern Rock Fire

 Girl Ray – Prestige (London, England) After opening their career on one of the most memorable indie-pop albums the U.K. had produced in the 2010s, Girl Ray have moved towards dance energy more with each record. While the disco side of this record undoubtedly lands them some more instantly catchy

Jepsen firmly moves into adult dance-pop phase with some great bangers

 Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time (Mission, British Columbia) By this point, Carly Rae Jepsen is the go-to pop crooner of Canada’s scene, with a knack for knocking out amazing hits that get you jumping every time. While it isn’t changing up her game, it’s lyrically great to see

Blur Seems to Have Let The Grit Sift Back In

 Little Dragon – Slugs of Love (Gothenburg, Sweden) With their mix of electronic vs indie-pop sensibilities, Little Dragon have mastered the art of a low-key approach that still makes you want to dance. While it might take time to really settle with you, this is one of those albums that

Let it Slide is a Solid Rock Record that Makes You Want to Party

 Beach Fossils – Bunny (Brooklyn) While at times their music can come off as so soothing that it’s hard to connect to it on a deeper level, Beach Fossils find the sweet spot between their writing and production on their new album. While seemingly laidback and accessible, the layering in

Alex Cuba is playing with purpose on his latest single “El Swing Que Yo Tengo”

 Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman (Palm Desert, California) While the writing was still there on their last record, something in the production of Villains just never hit the same depths as Queens of Stone Age’s …Like Clockwork as an overall album. While Joshua Homme’s life

“​​​​​​​Multitudes” shows the breadth of Feist’s tonal mastery

 Feist – Multitudes (Amherst, Nova Scotia/Calgary, Alberta) Leslie Feist has continuously morphed her craft through pop, rustic and more unhinged arrangements, resulting in a body of work that feels like a constant evolution through sound. While some acoustic tracks on her latest album offer a more simplified focus on Feist’s

“Blink Twice” finds the Arkells roaring out new tunes filled with vibrant life

 Arkells – Blink Twice (Hamilton, Ontario) Nothing seems to be able to slow down pace or fury of the Arkells, as every few years finds them roaring out with new tunes filled with vibrant life. While maybe not their most distinct album sonically, Arkells are clearly trying to assert a

Kate Bollinger’s perfectly crafted EP pulls stories from rusted twangy places.

 Kate Bollinger – Look at It in the Light (Charlottesville/Richmond, VA) Carving her stories out of a rusted and twangy place, Kate Bollinger’s latest EP finds its voice immediately. Perfectly crafted to not only soar in the modern indie climate, but to feel utterly of its own world, Bollinger makes

Album Reviews: Arkells, Sleigh Bells, Ada Lea

 Arkells - Blink Once (Hamilton, ON) If any Canadian band is constantly trying to find ways to evolve and collaborate, the Arkells make a fun exercise of it. While their newest record definitely lacks an edge at times, and may alienate some listeners in their new sonic routes, it does

Album Reviews: Loraine James, The Anchoress, For Those I Love

 Loraine James — Reflection (London, U.K.) The abrasive world experimental electronic music isn't always easy to dive into, but Loraine James provides a cool, yet challenging album to tempt fans into their sound. With intoxicating beats and unusual synth tones, this record holds nothing back. "Built to Last" throws you

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: Spirit of the Beehive, Brockhampton and Paul McCartney Remixes

 Spirit of the Beehive — Entertainment, Death  (Philadelphia, PA) Experimental music can sometimes feel like it explores more than it evaluates, and Spirit of the Beehive find a way to make their explorations feel worthwhile. With the right balance of unusual soundscapes and pounding rock moments, this is a record that

Album Reviews: Strumbellas, Lael Neale, The Staves

 Lael Neale — Acquainted with Night (Los Angeles) While we've undoubtedly hit a saturation point with lo-fi music, there's a spare few like Lael Neale that can find a magic in its timbres. By bringing out the raw character in each instrument's minimal scope, Neale is able to harness a

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: Arlo Parks, John Carpenter, Pop Evil

 Arlo Parks — Collapsed in Sunbeams (London, U.K.) There's something truly transfixing to solo artists that can spin instruments and voices around them like they simply command music to a recording. That magic is flowing in every second of Arlo Parks debut, for songs that expand on their simple cores into

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: Bicep, General Malaise, Kiwi Jr.

 Bicep — Isles (Belfast, Northern Ireland) Between full dance tracks, scores and modern electronica, Biceps land somewhere in the middle, to craft sonically fierce tracks. While it's definitely crafted for a specific mood and a particular crowd, this is some fun music to get lost in. The frantic beats of

Album Reviews: Pearl Charles, Shame, Sleaford Mods

 Pearl Charles — Magic Mirror (Los Angeles, CA) The retro wave of modern L.A. artists find a lot power in the lush vintage aesthetics and hooks that feel timeless. While it does find trouble always avoiding pastiche, Pearl Charles' latest release is often so fun it sinks in before you start it. There's

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: Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Kid Cudi

 Paul McCartney — McCartney III (Liverpool, U.K.) As a long-time McCartney fan, it's been a minute since one of his recent releases dazzled me like self-titled and RAM releases. Once again returning to playing everything himself, there's a sense of fun and simplicity that makes this stick in your head.

Album Reviews: Kali Uchis, King Gizzard, Megan Thee Stallion

 Kali Uchis — Sin Miedo  (Alexandria, Virginia/Colombia) While we've only been able to get a taste of Kali Uchis' Spanish in past years, her latest release dives right into it. Part-evolution, and partly a new flavour on what we know from Kali, this record bridges a lot of pop ideas