There is so much to love about Little Big Town, starting with incredible harmonies, songwriting chops and stellar stage presence. These four guys are proof that an act can bounce around Music Row and struggle for years, then find platinum-selling success — and on an indie label, at that. This single demonstrates why they are […]
For Kanye West, “Graduation” is the next natural step in a progression that began with his 2004 debut, “The College Dropout.” Plucking from influences as disparate as Daft Punk, U2 and the Rolling Stones, West focuses on such inspirational tracks as “I Wonder.” Beyond his trademark looped samples, West stretches the production with synthesizers […]
Like his hero George Strait — it’s no coincidence that he guests on “Shiftwork,” a sticks-in-your-head blue-collar anthem that fits both men like a glove — Chesney gets better with age. There are radio hits here: “Never Wanted Nothing More” has already hit No. 1, and second single “Don’t Blink” is off to a […]
Delayed release dates, slow-moving singles and G-Unit restructuring made 2007 a rough year for Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Now, “Curtis” seems to be a mirror of where the MC is in his career: muddled. Though the album is good, for an artist of 50 Cent’s caliber, it’s not great. “I Get Money,” “Man Down,” […]
The superb “Civilians” succeeds not only as a melodic collection of poignant short stories, but also as a potent picture book of America gone wrong. Joe Henry’s catchy lopes, waltzes and piano-led songs are steeped in an American roots-music sensibility with hints of jazz instrumental finesse. Lyrically, we’re treated to telling snapshots of a […]
Cause for celebration: Erstwhile Pixies frontman/rock ‘n’ roll lifer Charles Thompson is back for another round, this time reclaiming his “old” stage name Black Francis and rocking out harder on record than he has in years. For “Bluefinger,” Francis drew inspiration from iconic Dutch musician/painter Herman Brood, whose mercurial, drug-fueled life and dramatic suicide […]
The Red Stick Ramblers are clearly preoccupied, in a most admirable fashion, with a full immersion in the music of southwest Louisiana. The tune “Katrina” is a typically Cajun rejoinder to the hurricane’s aftermath; a response grounded in a ferocious rhythm and the dual fiddles of Kevin Wimmer and Linzay Young, which do most […]
This debut solo album from Heart’s Ann Wilson is hardly a go-it-alone affair. Of the dozen cuts, only two feature Wilson without a little help from her friends; the remaining 10 find the singer sharing the mic with guests including Elton John, k.d. lang and Rufus Wainwright. (Three cuts costar Ann’s sister Nancy, which […]
It’s to Patti Scialfa’s considerable credit that she’s launched a potent solo career in the shadow of husband Bruce Springsteen, and in doing so has not tried to chase after anything but the mature kind of music she naturally makes. The Garden State native is at heart a Greenwich Village troubadour with a soul […]
So far, this 23-year-old Scot has cut a public figure antithetical to the usual scrappy populists who hit the big time via MySpace. He’s disaffected and snide, the kind of guy who would take credit for starting a genre that expired before his birth or make a track eschewing the entire record biz (”This […]
The unassuming lads in Pinback earned some TV airtime and commercial radio airplay for songs from 2004’s masterwork “Summer in Abaddon,” but there are no overt lunges for the mainstream on their fourth full-length. If anything, save for the frenetic opener “From Nothing to Nowhere,” “Autumn” is noticeably less immediate than its predecessor. But […]
This collaboration between bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Antonio Forcione is an awfully appealing duet encounter. “Heartplay” is a lovely bit of acoustic jazz, comprising seven original tunes and a fine cover of Fred Hersch’s “Child’s Song.” The vibe is gentle and contemplative, and the performance is a study in patience and accent. Haden’s […]
Six years after Many Chao’s last U.S. studio release, “La Radiolina” swoops in to save the day with the renowned energy of his live shows. Not content to just be bangin’ on his bongo drum, Chao brings a palpable sense of urgency to rock anthems like “Rainin’ in Paradize,” “El Hoyo” and “El Kitapena.” […]
There’s always been a depth and diversity to Suzy Bogguss that signaled she was more than a country singer, so her collaboration with jazz producer Jason Miles isn’t surprising. Some of Nashville’s top songwriters contributed (Gary Burr, Beth Nielsen-Chapman and Doug Crider — Bogguss’ husband — among others), but it’s her pairing with Miles […]
