Not Dark Yet is the first collaborative album between Americana singer-songwriters and sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer. It is a cover album, covering genres from country classics to grunge standards to modern alternative pop, and the song choices are…
Album Review: Paula Cole – “Ballads”
This is a tough album to get through. Not because the songs are harrowing, not because the lyrics are heartfelt and emotional, not because the content is thought-provoking and calls for conversation, but because the album drags on and on.…
Album Review: Manchester Orchestra – “A Black Mile to the Surface”
There are some artists that, no matter what, sound quintessentially like the decade they’re from. Cheap Trick will sound like the 1970s. Sarah McLachlan always sounds a bit 1990s. In this vein, Manchester Orchestra is an indie rock band formed…
Album Review: Japanese Breakfast – “Soft Sounds from Another Planet”
Japanese Breakfast is not a group, nor Japanese, nor a traditional morning meal; It is the solo project of Korean-American Michelle Zauner of the band Little Big League. With her second album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, Zauner attempts to…
From the Record Crate: Sarah McLachlan – “Surfacing” (1997)
The late 1990s were very good for female singer-songwriters. There was very much a sound of the time: the light, breezy, alternative pop mixed with light folk, type of sound. It was music associated with Lilith Fair and that most…
Album Review: Alison Moyet – “Other”
Alison Moyet has perhaps the best first track off an album that I’ve heard all year. With Other, her ninth studio album, Moyet gives us a beautifully crafted electropop album. The dark and theatrical synths complement Moyet’s deep contralto, one…
Album Review: Cheap Trick – We’re All Alright!
A good concert strategy is to start on a high note, sprinkle some hits throughout, and end on a high note. Naturally, since very few bands have enough high notes for an entire hour-plus concert, a few of the songs…
