Album Reviews

If you’re listening to hip-hop in 2022, you know that the genre is overwhelmingly dominated by larger-than-life personalities. If it’s not your aesthetical dexterity, it’s the decadence of your cosmetics that keeps your moniker on the front page in rap today, and in her new single “Big” and its accompanying …

Sounding ethereal and audaciously addictive, Baker Grace instantly connects with the listener in the new single “Lullaby”. This pop track earworm spins a web of golden tendrils and pastels around the listener. Grace’s voice is angelic. A cloud of innocence and assurance spills out, leaving the air full of hope …

The first thing that jumps out of the speakers and grabs us with both fists in the new single “Run My Check” by Briannagh D is the beat, and this isn’t exclusively because of the boost the percussion is given in the master mix. On the contrary, because of the …

The punk rock ethic is still out there, alive and influencing a new generation of players to go and make incredibly rebellious music, and this is evident when watching the music video for Julius Sumner Miller’s new single “Leave the Key.” In terms of punk bands, Julius Sumner Miller plays …

Rap doesn’t have to be beat-heavy; in fact, some of the most significant releases to come out of the hip-hop genre in the past few years have been harmony-driven. Case in point, the new single “Hijacked” from Stringz EMB focuses more on pop trappings than it does a groove, and …

The best hip-hop is about so much more than tempo. Between rhythm and rhyme, it’s all about attitude, which is why the XIIDC collective has been getting so much attention for the new single “3 Ninjas” this spring. Comprised of three featured performances from Typhanie & Co., Spell the Three …

The last few years have seen a lot of minimalism penetrating the rock n’ roll underground, and the new single from Goldthread, “Tiffany Skylight,” is a good example of what I’m talking about. Goldthread’s sound isn’t wholly defined by chamber concepts, as is the case for the majority of the …

The intertwining vocals of Flume and May-A in the new single “Say Nothing” are indeed stunning on their own, but when layered amidst the discordant instrumentation in the foreground of the master mix, they become a hypnotic beacon through which we can learn a lot about both of these impressive …

Although slowed down to maximize the sensuousness of the adjacent melody, the beat in Geno Marriott’s “Take the Time: Smell the Roses” is certainly as expressive a component as any lyrics would have been. Truth be told, I think the absence of conventional verses makes the instrumental lustiness of this …

Loud guitars, searing lead vocals, a pummeling drumbeat, and a lot of pushing and shoving from the bassline have always added up to quality punk rock in my experience, and this is true of the new single “Destiny” by the Fizzgigs. Rather than trying to experiment with the traditional parameters …

There’s been an influx of quality indie folk-pop riding the back of the increasingly popular singer/songwriter movement in America lately, and Bruce Sudano has been reaping the rewards. Sudano’s songwriting career goes back decades, sharing the studio with some of the biggest names in pop, R&B, and rock, but what …

Rock music is far from removed from pop culture in 2022, as some critics had claimed it would be some ten years ago, and bands like the underground’s own Ignescent are proving as much with pleasure. Ignescent’s fiery new single “Remnant” flirts with alternative rock aesthetics circa 2000-2010, but its …