Genre: Folk/American Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 7/10 Commentary: What an amazing album from this Swedish group. This Americana album is just so spontaneous and unself-conscious, and a great breath of fresh air. It seems to exist completely outside the “saving country music” “destroying country music” polemic which has gotten so heavy-handed these days.… Read More »
Top 5 country and folk albums of the year. Listed in alphabetical order. Courtney Marie Andrews – Honest Life Genre: Country Listen here Read more here Dori Freeman – Letters Never Read Genre: Country Listen here Read more here Hurray for the Riff Raff –… Read More »
It’s been a busy month and I’ve fallen behind. On to the lists. My favorite five albums of 2017. 5. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding Genre: Rock 4. Jessie Ware – Glasshouse Genre: Pop 3. Powertrip… Read More »
Genre: Post-metal Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 7.5/10 Commentary: This album is really growing on me. I find post-metal/drone-metal just a little too ambient for my tastes, but Amenra really does this well. The album is drone-y but varied and interesting. Also, lead singer Eeckhout has a great scream. More info: here. Listen: here.
Genre: Rock Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 9/10 Commentary: This is sort of superfluous. The War on Drugs is just writing the best rock albums right now. There’s really nothing more to say about it than that. This album is, maybe, slightly less awesome than 2014’s Lost in a Dream but still absolutely amazing.… Read More »
Genre: Folk/Country Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 8/10 Commentary: This is a remarkable album by an artist that I was previously unfamiliar with. There are 6 albums in the back catalogue, which I haven’t had time to listen to yet. This album is eclectic, but mostly on the subdued side. The best songs include… Read More »
Genre: Corridos Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6.5/10 Commentary: This is a very strong entry from Calibre 50, who’ve gotten very popular recently and have been experimenting with more pop-friendly material. This album is a return to form, and these are really great corridos all of them, without any distracting antics. Nothing special, just… Read More »
Genre: Blues/Rock Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 5.5/10 Commentary: I really like this album, and I’ve seen the performer live as well, which was a great live show. The album was originally released in 2016, but then it won a Grammy in the blues category and so got re-released with new material in 2017.… Read More »
Genre: Metalcore Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6/10 Commentary: Metalcore is probably my least favorite metal subgenre. Integrity’s been around since the very beginning (decades now) and never really done much for me. This album, however, is worth listening to. For those who aren’t keen on the genre, the first go-through just feels like… Read More »
Genre: Free jazz/slam poetry Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 9.5/10 Commentary: This is the best album I’ve listened to this year so far, and it tops my “how not to be a fascist” play list. Minimalist, free-form jazz with combined with the defiant poetry of Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa). This is an album that… Read More »