Star-Crossed is a raw album but distinctly minor, teetering into boring and a notable letdown after Golden Hour. After a busy release cycle unexpectedly launched Kacey Musgraves…
A Southern Gothic is an album that thrillingly pushes at the boundaries of what the blues can be. You can think of genre as a set…
NBA YoungBoy “YB better.” This simple phrase has become a rallying cry of sorts for the millions of prepubescent YoungBoy Never Broke Again (or NBA…
Donda reflects the kind of confident controversy someone like Kanye can get away with when crafting an album as timeless as this. The announcement of a…
Big Red Machine’s latest record is a more star-forward, familiar affair, but its strength of artistry keeps its less experimental tracks from disappointing. After what was…
Deafheaven’s latest is an arduous and placid take on their sound, subverting much of the appeal the group’s abrasive brio holds. Deafheaven, either by elaborate…
The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is traditional without every feeling old-timey, and is more fun and plays to Simpson’s strengths more than his more recent…
Just a Matter of Slime is something of a placeholder, but one which indicates YNW Melly has every intention and credibility to push past his present…
Kanye West The announcement of a new Kanye West album — his tenth in fact — brought with it the delighted attention of the usual,…
Trip at Knight is the best album Trippie’s put out in a minute, a record of creative production and genuine feeling that only occasionally stumbles. Ohio…
Solar Power isn’t an outright failure, but it holds little of the ecstatic energy that defined Lorde’s first two records. Lorde’s star rocketed in the first…
While better than the first King’s Disease album, Nas’s follow-up isn’t much more than an exercise in oldhead legacy maintenance. Is Nas in “rare form,” as he…
Sam Williams’ major label debut proves he possesses his family’s talent, but also suggests he hasn’t yet asserted his own musical identity. If nothing else,…
Nas Is Nas in “rare form,” as he claims on King’s Disease II, or just a tad moldy? This question was already resoundingly answered on…
Los Lobos’ Native Sons is a top-tier covers collection and a heartfelt love letter to Los Angeles. Long before their days of weighty concepts and…
NEED finds 3OH!3 returning to their late-aughts party rap roots, and reminding how much current hyperpop stars are indebted to their earworm sound. It seems impossible…
Wanda Jackson deserved a far better party than Encore for her send-off. Recorded in 2019, before she announced her official retirement, Encore will most likely be the…
1/6 is both a confident and vulnerable comeback for Sunmi, a synthpop work of polished songcraft and raw lyricism. Since 2017, K-pop artist Sunmi’s velvety synthpop…
Los Lobos Long before their days of weighty concepts and studio experimentation, Los Lobos cut their teeth as a wedding band, doggedly gigging across Los…
Connie Smith’s excellent The Cry of the Heart is proof that traditional country in 2021 doesn’t have to be mere museum curio. While many of country…
The Asymptotical World EP picks up where Yves Tumor left off with their last album, opening up Tumor as a vocalist and performer. It hasn’t been…