review Archive
04 Feb 2023
Album Review: Librarians with Hickeys – Handclaps & Tambourines
Their name might be on the unfortunate side, but Librarians with Hickeys know how to craft a winning tune. The trio engages in some straightforward truth-in-labeling on their latest release, […]
03 Feb 2023
Album Review: The Shoe Birds – Southern Fables
It’s unusual – and unexpected – to receive a CD with an accompanying press sheet describing that album as the artist’s final release. But that’s the case with Southern Fables, […]
31 Jan 2023
Album Review: Richard X Heyman – 67,000 Miles an Album
There are few artists as capable of such consistently wonderful songwriting mastery as Richard X. Heyman. A master of jangle, the NYC-based multi-instrumentalist has a seemingly inexhaustible well of creativity, […]
29 Jan 2023
Album Review: Bird Streets – Lagoon
John Brodeur is Bird Streets. Last time around – on 2018’s self-titled debut – he collaborated with Jason Falkner; the result was excellent. This time there’s no Falkner, and the […]
28 Jan 2023
Album Review: Crossword Smiles — Pressed & Ironed
Breezy, tuneful and possessing enough grit to set the music apart from standard-issue power poppers, Crossword Smiles craft solid, memorable tunes. The arrangements are uncluttered on these guitar-based riff rockers. […]
20 Jan 2023
Album Review: Shelton Powe
Piedmont finger-style folk-blues acoustic guitarist Shelton Powe debuted on record with 2012’s Carolina Blues and Gospel. He returned with 2016’s Black Folk Music (God is Good). On his third and […]
19 Jan 2023
Album Review: Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Celebration
When Mike Oldfield debuted with his album-length 1972 work Tubular Bells, it was a momentous occasion. The piece – essentially instrumental save for a bit of emceeing by The Bonzo […]
17 Jan 2023
Album Review: GA-20 — Crackdown
The guitar-and-drums duo format is one with a long and rich history in the blues idiom. That stripped-down setup has also found success in rock acts, from Flat Duo Jets […]
14 Jan 2023
Album Review: Demetria Taylor – Doin’ What I’m Supposed to Do
Singer Demetria Taylor grew up in a musical household. Her father was Eddie Taylor, rhythm guitarist for Jimmy Reed. Demetria launched her own career, winning the B.L.U.E.S. on Halstead Blues […]
09 Jan 2023
Book Review: Pink Floyd: The Animals Tour – A Visual History
With both the recent 45th anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd’s Animals and the reissue of that album in upgraded format, now is the perfect time to revisit the […]