Ron Sexsmith: Hermitage [Album Review]
Ron Sexsmith HermitageCooking Vinyl [2020] While I’ve practically made it a personal mission to bring Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn to the attention of American audiences … Read more
Joseph Arthur: Come To Where I’m From (20th Anniversary Edition) [Album Review]
Joseph Arthur Come To Where I’m From (20th Anniversary Edition)Real World Records [2020] In 2000, the T Bone Burnett and Rick Will co-produced sophomore album … Read more
Bob Dylan: Rough And Rowdy Ways [Album Review]
Bob Dylan Rough And Rowdy WaysColumbia Records [2020] At this point, there’s really no easy way to explain the unique place that Bob Dylan has … Read more
Neil Young: Homegrown [Album Review]
Neil Young HomegrownReprise Records [2020] This long “lost” Neil Young album was recorded late in 1974, two years after his classic solo, commercial breakout album, … Read more
Muzz: Muzz [Album Review]
Muzz MuzzMatador Records [2020] According the dictionary, “muzz” is a transitive verb which is British slang that means “to confuse” someone, or make them muzzy, … Read more
Jaime Wyatt: Neon Cross [Album Review]
Jaime Wyatt Neon CrossNew West Records [2020] Over the decades, county music has loved a hard luck story, a tears in your beer weeper … Read more
The 1975: Notes On A Conditional Form [Album Review]
The 1975 Notes On A Conditional FormDirty Hit/Interscope Records [2020] By now, there are some constants that we can assert about The 1975. They like … Read more
Dion: Blues With Friends [Album Review]
Dion Blues With FriendsKeeping The Blues Alive [2020] There are different levels of fame. There’s “one hit wonder” famous, and “once upon a time” famous, … Read more
Victor Wainwright And The Train: Memphis Loud [Album Review]
Victor Wainwright And The Train Memphis LoudRuf Records [2020] Keyboard player Victor Wainwright may have grown up in Georgia, as he suggests in the title … Read more
Perfume Genius: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately [Album Review]
Perfume Genius Set My Heart On Fire ImmediatelyMatador Records [2020] You get the sense listening to the fifth album from Perfume Genius, aka Mike Hadreas, … Read more
Kip & JJ Loui: Show Me State [Album Review]
Kip & JJ Loui Show Me StateSelf-Released [2020] Show Me State is a country rock/Americana love letter from songwriters and spouses, Kip & JJ Loui … Read more
Steve Earle & The Dukes: Ghosts Of West Virginia [Album Review]
Steve Earle & The Dukes Ghosts of West VirginiaNew West Records [2020] In 2010, the worst mining disaster in American history happened at the Upper … Read more
EOB: Earth [Album Review]
EOB EarthCapitol Records [2020] EOB is the moniker used by Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien for this debut solo venture, Earth, the music of which he … Read more
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit: Reunions [Album Review]
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit ReunionsSoutheastern Records [2020] In one of the songs on Jason Isbell’s seventh solo album since stepping away from the … Read more
John Finbury: American Nocturnes – Final Days Of July [Album Review]
John Finbury American Nocturnes – Final Days of JulyGreen Flash Music [2020] This one comes with an admission that age has changed my musical tastes. … Read more
The Dream Syndicate: The Universe Inside [Album Review]
The Dream Syndicate The Universe InsideANTI- [2020] Generally speaking, I hate it when a press release for a new album suggests something like “this is … Read more
Lucinda Williams: Good Souls Better Angels [Album Review]
Lucinda Williams Good Souls Better AngelsHighway 20/Thirty Tigers [2020] Lucinda Williams has a remarkable, ragged, resilient singing voice, that is the perfect instrument for her … Read more
Local H: Lifers [Album Review]
Local H LifersAntiFragile Music [2020] It’s one thing to make compelling music as a hard rocking duo – just guitar and drums –delivering music that … Read more
X: Alphabetland [Album Review]
X AlphabetlandFat Possum Records [2020] Of the bands that came out of the L.A. scene in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I tend to … Read more
Red Dirt Boys: Red Dirt Boys [Album Review]
Red Dirt Boys Red Dirt BoysSelf-Released [2020] Emmylou Harris has a way of picking great back-up players for her band. Nevermind that she sang with … Read more
Brendan Benson: Dear Life [Album Review]
Brendan Benson Dear LifeThird Man Records [2020] Brendan Benson has the enviable position of being the other front man in the Raconteurs who shares the … Read more
Fiona Apple: Fetch The Bolt Cutters [Album Review]
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt CuttersEpic Records [2020] The title of Fiona Apple’s fifth album is telling. Drawn from the British crime-drama “The Fall,” which … Read more
Soul Asylum: Hurry Up And Wait [Album Review]
Soul Asylum Hurry Up And WaitBlue Élan Records [2020] Soul Asylum came of age in the early 80’s in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul … Read more
M. Ward: Migration Stories
M. Ward Migration StoriesANTI— [2020] On the 10th solo album from M. Ward it’s unlikely that anyone who’s encountered his music over the recent decades … Read more
The Strokes: The New Abnormal [Album Review]
The Strokes The New AbnormalCult/RCA Records [2020] It’s been long enough since the band’s 2016 EP Future Present Past, which was little more than a … Read more