Michael Kiwanuka Continues His Dreamy Soul Journey on “Floating Parade”
Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled album from 2019 got a lot of praise. It took some surprising musical twists and turns through its award-winning runtime, but it had a consistently soulful sound pinned down by Kiwanuka’s voice. On “Floating Parade”, that authentically soul-inflected sound continues, even more so than his previous work. As a sweet harmonising guitar […]
slimdan Serves an Ace with “Wimbledon White”
There are two types of music fans: those who like “cheerful” music and those who like “miserable” music. Is that a huge sweeping generalization? Of course. For my own part, I know I veer to the ‘sad/melancholy/miserable’ side more often. But there’s a lot of examples of songs that drag me back to the sunny […]
When Was Steve Forbert at His Peak?
Steve Forbert hit the New York City scene just as I was finishing high school. Although originally from Mississippi, he felt like one of us Jersey guys. That he ended up living for many years at the Jersey Shore confirmed it. For those new to this, we’re looking at retrospective in a unique way – […]
Welcome Autumn with Tyson Motsenbocker’s “Someday I’ll Make It All Up To You”
In Nashville where I live, the first autumn leaves have fallen. They’re a little premature, of course – it’s supposed to be back up near 100 degrees this week. But the last two weeks were cool enough to fool a few leaves into dying early, and my yard is lightly scattered with them. Group that […]
You Need to Know About slimdan’s “Second Dinner”
“How have I never heard of this guy?” That’s what I said to my friend after I had listened to slimdan’s Second Dinner front to back on his recommendation. Danny Silberstein has his fingerprints all over some beloved music. As a producer and writer, his credits include songs all over the map of pop and […]
When Was R.E.M. at Their Peak?
I was always jealous of the older guys who could remember when particular Beach Boys songs came out. But when REM came along, I had that pleasure. The band emerged as college radio darlings just as I started, releasing the Chronic Town EP and their five LP’s on the I.R.S. label, all while I was […]
Imogen Clark Masters “The Art of Getting Through”
(Photo by Michelle Grance Hunder) I’m not sure about a lot of things. Not sure if the Middle East is heading for an all-out war. Not sure if the stock market is teetering. But I am sure that Imogen Clark’s The Art Of Getting Through is the best album of this decade so far. The […]
What freedom means on “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” by Jon Foreman and Abby Holliday
The introduction to “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” comes from what sounds like a couple of ukuleles with inaudible whispered conversations behind them. Jon Foreman sings a line, and then Abby Holliday sings one, and they carry on one after the other until the chorus. Foreman’s voice has lilt of an accent and almost a […]
Innovation and Emotion on Animals in Denial’s “Crash Course Vol. 2: Tickets to Dreamland”
“The name of this volume, “Tickets to Dreamland” comes from an Area 51 reference, and it honestly just spoke to me and exuded the vibe of new tech new ideas new perspectives infusing new life and bringing the sound that was in my head into the world, how it sounded to me in my head,” explains […]
Hunter Metts is Iconic on “Monochrome”
(Photo: Travis Shinn) Listening to Hunter Metts’ debut EP Monochrome made me wonder: what does Zach Bryan have that this guy doesn’t have? Nashville-based Metts writes great songs and has a hypnotic, Bon Iver-type voice. When people hear this new collection of songs, he could easily become our next breakthrough indie-folk sensation. Metts’ songs remind […]
