Album Reviews

Forcefully, a striking electric guitar breaks off a sensuous lick at the start of “Let’s Begin Again,” track one of The Best of Matthew John, and in the next four minutes, its might will only grow more intense and visceral. John navigates the harmonious channels that the guitar and bass leave …

A fragile guitar melody wisps out of the silence only to be followed by the near-whisper of Nicholas Altobelli, whose voice was tailor-made for the exquisite ballad that is “Midnight Songs.” “Midnight Songs” is about as soft and gentle a song as they come, but while its captivating colors and …

Washington D.C.’s Broke Royals kick off Saint Luxury with “Ave”, the first of a few brief instrumental interludes included on the album. It is an elegiac, wide-screen piece despite its brevity thanks to understated keyboards and piano working in counterpoint to one another before the song ends with a big guitar flourish. …

King Ropes are back this summer with some of the most brooding and physically engaging rock songs of the year in their brand new album Gravity and Friction. Gravity and Friction sees King Ropes departing from the softer tones of their first record, 2017’s Dirt, and stripping away the pop varnish from their …

With a playful rhythm to lead us right into the heart of its molten-hot melodies, “Summer Muses” sees Good Service not wasting a second before diving right into one of the signature string grooves of his debut album, Please. This track is definitely one of the more radio-ready on the record, …

Colorful electric guitars clash against a black and white drum pattern in “On the Ground.” A bassline as big as the Mississippi Delta smothers anything within its reach in “Blackboard.” “Your Way” drowns us in bright pop melodies, but the secret to its spellbinding nature is rooted in its weighty …

Clad in a black leather cowboy hat and sporting a long, pointed beard, Dudley Taft picks up his guitar, retrieves a pick from its headstock, and blazes through a collection of twelve tracks infused with rock n’ roll riffs, sonic textures and musical diversity. Taft’s new album Simple Life will …

There’s a surprising amount jammed into the relatively brief running time of Jacques Gaines’ new single “Something Wrong with Me” from the album Volume Won. Some may feel Gaines tries to do too much with this track; after all, the rap portion of the song, however short, does seem to be …

SOUNDCLOUD:   “Flooded Field” is unique in its genre. Most singles of this type, even if they follow strict pop music lines, treat the lyrical content as a mere placeholder, something the listening public expects but the artist has little investment in. It is because of this attitude we are …

With the stomp of an ancient tribal drumbeat, “Permanent Vacation,” one of the five songs comprising Biglemoi’s all-new record of the same name, comes slinking into focus, sporting a swaggering rhythm in its chilling swing. A heavy wallop of strings follows this stoic introduction, and soon we’re met with a …

Through the Circle is the latest album from vocalist and songwriter Jennifer Truesdale and signals a high water mark in a career that has seen her produce some of the most meaningful recordings in American music today. The obvious artistry defining the ten tracks included on this release doesn’t strain to …

I often say that music can heal the soul and bring a lot of good to many people, so it always makes me smile to listen to songs like Caitlin Nicole’s “Differently Abled Man” because they are there to help raise awareness for different great causes and that is something …