Tag: album review
Review: Cam and his Dam Jam Band: ‘The Paradise Experiment’
Athens-based Cam and his Dam Jam Band released their first full-length album, The Paradise Experiment, on January 1st, 2024. On the new record, the group hosts jazzy, groovy coffeehouse tunes that drawl on and on, clocking in at just under 50 minutes with eight songs. The album features the band’s 2023 single “Gypsy Magic Woman”,…
Review: The Roots: “Things Fall Apart”
In 1999, Philadelphia based hip-hop group, The Roots, would reach a turning point in their career. They would release their fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart, which would help them achieve mainstream success and solidify them as pioneers in rap culture. Prior to its release the band had amassed quite a following but it never…
Review: Samia: ‘Honey’
Samia’s introspective new album, Honey, opens with a delusional, searing confession delivered amidst a somber funeral organ. She parallels SZA’s recent hit, “Kill Bill,” and daydreams about killing an ex’s new lover. In recent interviews, she consistently describes her second LP as ‘pathologically confessional.’ True to her word, the album’s lead single and opening track,…
Review: Hotel Fiction: ‘Soft Focus’
Hotel Fiction’s debut album Soft Focus is finally out today. Written and recorded over the past two years, Soft Focus is a complete introduction to the potential Hotel Fiction brings to the table as musicians, writers, and creatives. It’s rare that a musical act steps forward with such a complete vision and polished presence, but Hotel Fiction has done…
Review: Lucy Dacus: ‘Home Video’
Home Video is a stunning collection of delicate coming-of-age moments packed with emotional vulnerability and scenic poetry. Lucy Dacus, 26, brings to life nostalgic tales of her Christian youth camp days, friends dating subpar boys, awkward firsts and confused teens replacing pop culture references for a personality. Presumably, the effectiveness comes from the way she read through her teenage…
REVIEW: Cities Aviv – ‘The Crashing Sound of How It Goes’
THE CRASHING SOUND OF HOW IT GOES by Cities Aviv I was stuck in a place/I couldn’t get up/what happens next? How does one begin to grieve growth from one chapter of life to another? Loved ones lost, a regressive sociopolitical landscape, and the impending fears of aging all come crashing down on one to…
Fleet Foxes – ‘First Collection 2006-2009’
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, providing respite from the present day. Music continues to find ways to replicate former fond feelings: a day at the beach, a sunset with friends after a long hike, or a cozy evening in the mountains. If there is a specific minutiae-filled time and place that one longs for, it’s…
BRONCHO: ‘Bad Behavior’
When formulating ideas for new music, BRONCHO bandleader Ryan Lindsey could not help but focus on the bad things. While spending a lot of time watching CNN, he says, “…man, there’s a lot of bad behavior out there. Not to mention, there’s a company making money off of people watching their depiction of it all.” Shortly…
REVIEW: Lala Lala – ‘The Lamb’
Lillie West has described her recent past as one of “general violence.” In the midst of writing her follow-up to 2016’s delicate Sleepyhead, West’s inner circle faced home invasions, assault, and death, leaving her running inward, dreading the world outside. Through fear and personal deconstruction, West’s latest album as Lala Lala makes big realizations around…
Middle Kids are a Force to be Reckoned with on Debut Album “Lost Friends”
An eclectic combination of confidence, self-doubt, love, and lust ooze from “Lost Friends,” the debut album from Australian trio, Middle Kids. The vocals of singer/guitarist Hannah Joy radiate self-assurance, but the lyrics tell a story of uncertainty and woe. Combined with the powerful instrumentals of Tim Fitz and Harry Day, the fresh-faced band navigates rocky…