Rating: 4.5 / 5 Reviewer: Greg Hutton Chad VanGaalen has a knack for writing soaring pop songs that are deceptively simple in their composition. On Diaper Island, VanGaalen plays to his strengths – wandering lead guitar lines walk hand-in-hand with intriguing and unique vocal melodies, all played over relatively simple chord progressions.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
Rating: 4 / 5 Reviewer: Greg Hutton Creep On Creepin’ On is an aptly titled record that matches the sweet but naggingly sinister croon of principle singer-songwriter Taylor Kirk with a darker, denser and more confident approach to instrumentation than has appeared previously on a Timber Timbre album.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Reviewer: Trent Depue The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle is regarded as one of the premier songwriters out there today. And as added weight to this statement, it is nothing short of astonishing that he is able to consistently back it up, given the volume of albums he releases.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Trent Depue Lucinda Williams’ diverse musical nature is her second-greatest strength, next to her voice. Her ability to shift seamlessly between country, folk, rock and the blues has defined her musical career.
Posted in Country + Western, Folk + Roots, Music Reviews
Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Michelle Kennedy Long Player Late Bloomer is easy listening. Don’t worry – it’s not “easy listening.” It’s just easy to listen to. It’s like a bowl of ice cream without any of the guilt.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Reviewer: Trent Depue For his fourth record, KMAG YOYO (And Other American Stories), it’s business as usual for Texas native Hayes Carll. Highly regarded for his blend of country, rock and blues, Carll continues to impress and build on his reputation as a top tier singer/songwriter.
Posted in Country + Western, Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
Rating: 2.5 / 5 Reviewer: Kevin Hartford Buck 65′s voice is both his greatest strength and his biggest weakness. It’s an awesome voice, for sure – deep and distinct, gravelly and melodic at the same time – but listening to an entire album of it can be wearying.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rap + Hip-Hop
Rating: 5 / 5 Reviewer: Michelle Kennedy Recently Sam Beam told SPIN magazine that Kiss Each Other Clean “is more of a focused pop record. It sounds like music people heard in their parent’s car growing up…that early-to-mid ‘70s FM, radio-friendly music” and he’s right. And it’s very surprising and very very very good.
Posted in Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop
