Album Reviews
Ariana Grande Gets Lost in the Stars on eternal sunshine: Review
Ariana Grande is sparkling but slightly unfocused on her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine. Ariana Grande Gets Lost in the Stars on eternal sunshine: Review Mary Siroky
Liquid Mike Near Power-Pop Perfection on Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot
Following the buzzy S/T, Liquid Mike once again one-up themselves. Liquid Mike’s New Album Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot Nears Power Pop Perfection Jonah Krueger
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Trilogy Set a Cosmic New Standard ror Progressive Rock
The supergroup's 1972 masterpiece is a whirlwind adventure. Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Trilogy Set a Cosmic New Standard for Progressive Rock Paolo Ragusa
On Layover, V of BTS Lets His Feelings Take Flight
An often jazzy R&B offering from the vocalist and dancer. On Layover, V of BTS Lets His Feelings Take Flight: Review Mary Siroky
With In the Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson Bet on Themselves and Changed Rock Forever
King Crimson set out to change the world of popular music, and the mad lads did just that. With In the Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson Bet on Themselves and Changed Rock Forever Jonah Krueger
Wednesday Touch the Divine on the Glorious Rat Saw God
Our March CoSign are set to take over indie with their latest LP. Wednesday Touch the Divine on the Glorious Rat Saw God Jonah Krueger
On FACE, Jimin Sets Himself Free: Review
The BTS member embraces his past while stepping into a dazzling future. On FACE, Jimin Sets Himself Free: Review Mary Siroky
Eight Albums in, The Gorillaz Universe Is Still Expanding
Damon Albarn keeps examining the intersection of technology and art through the prism of a virtual band, and it keeps working. Eight Albums in, The Gorillaz Universe Is Still Expanding Cady Siregar
RM’s ‘Indigo’: Every Song Ranked
When RM officially introduced himself to the music industry through BTS‘ debut in 2013, the then-18-year-old Kim Namjoon was known through the stage name Rap Monster after being praised by hip-hop veterans for his spitting abilities, but he later shared a love-hate relationship with the moniker. In 2017, the star made the formal move to professionally go by RM after realizing it didn’t fully represent who he was or his love for all music. Instead, “RM” now opened his name up to represent a range of meanings, one of them thought to be the “Real Me.” Even if rap is where RM started, his first proper solo album, Indigo, shows that it’s only one facet of the musician. With assistance from longtime musical legends in different genres, plus rising up-and-comers, the LP is a collection of songs t...
With Indigo, RM Makes Fleeting Moments Feel Permanent
The album cover of RM’s Indigo includes artwork by Korean artist Yun Hyong-keun, a painter known for meditative, contemplative pieces characterized by splashes of umber and ultramarine. While the contemporary paintings are relatively minimalist, they’re technically complex, and all the more layered considering the artist was a bold, persistent figure who survived one of the most turbulent and traumatic periods in South Korea’s history. The streaming press preview of Indigo included extensive notes on the record; it’s there that Yun Hyong-keun is noted as RM’s favorite painter. RM, who was born Kim Namjoon, is the leader of BTS, the biggest pop group on the planet. He’s also a vocal supporter and passionate collector of contemporary art, particularly interested in elevating work by South Ko...
Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me Is Mired in Mediocrity
Following up the biggest album of your career is tough sledding for any artist. But for rappers? It’s something only Houdini might pull off with ease. Hip-hop is always about what you’re doing now, not what you did yesterday. Just one false move takes you from relevant to irrelevant at the drop of a quarter, nickel, or dime. Lil Baby finds himself in that very unenviable position. 2020’s My Turn was, in a word, massive. Baby not only refined his hit-making skills but improved his rapping technique and writing. Since its release, Baby found himself the focus of a documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. So yeah, Lil Baby finds himself in a bit of a moment. It’s Only Me, out Friday, October 14th, is the result of all that pressure, success, and newfound lifestyle for the...
Björk Is as Vibrant as Ever on the Moving, Earthy Fossora
Aside from her unmatched ability to constantly and successfully reinvent herself, one of Björk’s greatest qualities is her deft, poignant interrogations on the complex ties between humanity and nature. On her previous album, 2017’s lovely Utopia, the Icelandic experimental pop singer envisioned a world beyond ours, contrasting ethereal imagery and feather-light production with her growing concerns about the environment and her lingering grief around her divorce. Fossora — the followup to Utopia and her 10th overall record, out Friday (September 30th) — finds Björk coming back down to Earth, surveying the decay of our natural world and meditating on its debilitating effect on our own relationships. We don’t take care of our planet, Björk seems to suggest, because we fail to take care o...
