A sibling spark fuels Isata Kanneh-Mason’s 'Mendelssohn' album
The rising young pianist, from a family of seven musical siblings, offers dynamic music by brother and sister Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.
Music Reviews
JPEGMAFIA, rap's most tireless agitator, looks inward
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, the artist's fifth album and first since his Kanye collabs made him a snark target, swings back at everyone in sight — but saves a few knocks for himself.
Ice Spice seized the moment — but maybe not the right one
The Bronx rapper's acid tongue and unbothered stance made her one of hip-hop's hottest prospects. On her debut album, Y2K!, her snowballing hype may have exceeded the reach of her pen.
Revisiting the hard-rock swagger of the New York Dolls' 1974 album, 50 years later
Though sales were lackluster, Too Much Too Soon captured the band's spirit. Less than a year after its release, the Dolls broke up in a combination of commercial failure and personal misbehavior.
Childish Gambino, Denzel Curry and Curren$y channel rap's blog era
Three survivors of a chaotic moment in hip-hop conjure its best qualities, a decade and a few major career twists later, for three new albums released on the same day.
50 years ago, 'Country Life' solidified Roxy Music's reputation as art-rockers
The British band Roxy Music, led by singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry, released their fourth album in 1974. It would go on to crack the Billboard top 40 — and it remains thrilling today.
West of Roan collects ancient folktales — not personal folklore
In an era when connecting the tidbits of an artist’s private life can seem more important than following a musical thread between songs, West of Roan's Queen of Eyes revives faith in the power of the concept album.
Eminem and Common confront the same milestone — middle age — from opposite angles
The two veteran rappers read as comic inversions of one another on their new albums, by turns renewed and restrained by the instincts that defined them at the start of their careers.
50 years later, Stevie Wonder's 'First Finale' remains ripe for rediscovery
Fulfillingness’ First Finale won the Grammy for Best Album in 1975, yet today it feels underrated — perhaps because its overall tone was more meditative than the albums immediately preceding it.
Zach Bryan makes — and breaks — his own myth on 'The Great American Bar Scene'
Bruce Springsteen, 40 years on from Born in the U.S.A., shows up on Bryan’s new album to offer the wisdom and regret of a lifetime of telling truths and spinning yarns.