From the foot-tapping opener “Slow” that contains a full-on blast of Hammond and a tiny bit of reverb to the swaying King Gizzard-like closer “Over & Doubt,” Australia’s own Baked Beans take you for a solid psych ride on their debut LP, Babble. Baked Beans’ strength is their determination to hang the tempo in the…
Early efforts from Florence + The Machine – in singles like “Kiss With a Fist” and “Dog Days are Over” – came across with enough smarts and depth that suggested Florence Welch was going to be more than another British pop chanteuse flash in the pan. There was an artful edge and a sense of…
Whether it’s dealing with the current political climate or wrestling with their own mortality, Matt and Kim have found a sense of urgency and focus on their latest album, Almost Everyday. The Brooklyn duo started their career with a bang and lost some of their lustre with their later releases. Coasting may be too harsh…
Beginning with their 1994 debut, I Could Live in Hope, indie band Low has been going against the grain, slowing down their rhythms to a hypnotic haze, escaping the noise of modern life into quiet whispers of harmonic beauty in the voices of married couple Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk, which struggled to surface amid…
On the warm and lovely Lightsleeper, father and son Neil & Liam Finn collaborate in a dreamy song cycle that celebrates the family connections and the ties that bind our lives to one another. Neil Finn, of course, has had a remarkable career that continues to evolve. The 60-year-old New Zealand native joined his brother…
David Byrne’s new release came along with the promise of a tour hyped as his most ambitious tour since the Talking Heads’ tour that was filmed for the live concert movie, Stop Making Sense. In fact, a CD of this new release was given to every ticket buyer. Advertised as Byrne’s first solo album in…
On their 25th studio album, The Church maintains the sense of revitalization that developed from the band’s 2014 release, Further/Deeper. Longtime Church fans universally recognize the band’s breakthrough radio single, “Under the Milky Way” from 1988’s Starfish, but from there the band’s strongest efforts are up for debate. I’m prone to the early 90’s albums…
