Fresh grief, like fresh love, has a way of sharpening our vision and bringing on painful clarifications. No matter how temporary we know these states to be, the vulnerability and transformation they demand can overpower the strongest among us. Then there are the rare, fertile moments when both occur, when mourning and limerence heighten, complicate…
There are some absolute smashers released this week too. Grammy award-winning singing sensation Gregory Porter’s 6th studio album, All Rise, is a heart-felt, joyful celebration of the evolution of his art to something even more emphatic, emotive, intimate, and universal. Along with producer Troy Miller (Laura Mvula, Jamie Cullum, Emili Sandé), Gregory takes us higher…
Here we go again with the biggest release week for plenty of months. Our distilled 6 this week start with All Mirrors, which tracks the artistic voyage of the wonderful Angel Olsen: her beginnings as a collaborator shifted seamlessly to her magnificent, cryptic-to-cosmic solo work, and then she formed bands to play her songs, and…
First of our recommended releases this week is singer, songwriter, musician and producer Taylor Swift’s long-awaited and highly anticipated 6th studio album, Reputation, which includes the number one single ‘Look What You Made Me Do’; we refer any doubters to the Ryan Adams cover of Taylor’s album 1989, which revealed what a great songwriter she…
Pre-sale of the week is Phases by Angel Olsen, out on 10 November. Phases is a collection culled from the past several years of work by Angel Olsen, including the new song ‘Special’, recorded during the My Woman sessions, as well as ‘Fly On Your Wall’, previously available on the download-only anti-Trump compilation Our First…
September looks like being a monumental month for new releases. Our recommended eight for 2 September start with Ward Thomas, whose startling new album, Cartwheels, they say themselves, is not just a country album. Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy is one of the UK’s most accomplished and distinctive songwriters, and he’s in fine form…