With a guitar in one hand with another in a raised fist, Joan Baez came whirring into the early 1960s folk scene like a wildfire. For nearly 60 years after, she’s become known for whisking her crystalline voice into action,…
Dashboard Confessional – “Crooked Shadows”: Album Review
Dashboard Confessional gained fame around twenty years ago as one of the leading bands of the emo scene. As expected, the band – led by singer, songwriter and only constant member Chris Carrabba – has grown, matured, and changed since…
Album Review: Simple Minds – “Walk Between Worlds”
With Walk Between Worlds, Simple Minds have a challenging task ahead of them: how does a band famous for a 1980s sound keep that sound relevant and not dated in today’s musical landscape? Simple Minds succeed at that task, by…
Album Review: They Might Be Giants – “I Like Fun”
They Might Be Giants have always succeeded at lyrical dissonance. Fun, bright, upbeat melodies lift up darker lyrics about shipwrecks, cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face, and the realization that you’ll never be part of the world of…
Album Review: Black Veil Brides – “Vale”
It’s hard to describe the sound of the Black Veil Brides. There’s something amazingly metal about them that isn’t just the glam metal aesthetic of the band’s earlier years. The thrashing guitars, heavy bass, and darker vocal sound of lead…
Album Review: Darius Rucker – “When Was the Last Time”
Darius Rucker is an old hand at country music. He’s been at the game for a while and, as such, knows how to make a good country album. When Was the Last Time is that very good country album: Rucker knows…
Album Review: Paloma Faith – “The Architect”
Like many artists of various genres and mediums, Paloma Faith has emerged from the chaotic, dispiriting mess of 2016 with The Architect and a mission to change her message and speak more directly about social injustices and political embarrassments. It’s…