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John Amen

ALBUM REVIEW: Kamara Thomas Weaves Past and Present Into Debut ‘Tularosa: An American Dreamtime’

ALBUM REVIEW: Kamara Thomas Weaves Past and Present Into Debut ‘Tularosa: An American Dreamtime’

Throughout Tularosa: An American Dreamtime’s 11-song sequence, Kamara Thomas — activist, multidisciplinary artist, and singer-bassist for blues-rock trio Earl Greyhound — debuts with her own brand of historically based mythology, depicting the lives of various figures as they navigate love, tragedy, and displacement in the 19th-century American

ALBUM REVIEW: Abigail Lapell Displays Depth and Versatility on 'Stolen Time'

ALBUM REVIEW: Abigail Lapell Displays Depth and Versatility on 'Stolen Time'

With her fourth album, Stolen Time, Abigail Lapell builds on the folk and folk-rock templates of her previous three albums while strategically employing instrumental effects and moody atmospherics. Her versatile voice, however, defines the project, the Canadian singer-songwriter’s dreamy yet cogent delivery bringing to life a mix

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Cauthen Brings Wit and Wide Range to ‘Country Coming Down’

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Cauthen Brings Wit and Wide Range to ‘Country Coming Down’

Paul Cauthen offers a sequence of catchy, humorous, and heartfelt songs on his latest album, Country Coming Down. Overall, the sound is unmistakably country, though Cauthen and his band draw from and recontextualize a variety of playbooks. While previous projects, including the raconteurial Room 41 and sermonic Have Mercy, revealed

ALBUM REVIEW: William Clark Green Offers Solid, If Slightly Predictable, Tunes on 'Baker Hotel'

ALBUM REVIEW: William Clark Green Offers Solid, If Slightly Predictable, Tunes on 'Baker Hotel'

Over the course of five albums, William Clark Green has created a notable body of work, mixing outlaw and mainstream country sounds. His lyrics often address the painful side of romance, the challenges of day-to-day life, and the pluses and minuses of hard drinking. Vocal performances are equally

ALBUM REVIEW: Strong Content but Weak Connection on Sarah Shook and The Disarmers’ ‘Nightroamer’

ALBUM REVIEW: Strong Content but Weak Connection on Sarah Shook and The Disarmers’ ‘Nightroamer’

Nightroamer, the new release from Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, builds on the classic country sounds and outlaw themes of the North Carolina-based quintet’s first two albums. While Shook, who uses they/them pronouns, remains a charismatic presence, their delivery throughout this sequence often sounds distracted, The Disarmers’

ALBUM REVIEW: Shovels & Rope Roar Their Cultural Commentary on ‘Manticore’

ALBUM REVIEW: Shovels & Rope Roar Their Cultural Commentary on ‘Manticore’

With their new album, Manticore, husband-and-wife duo Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, aka Shovels & Rope, continue to hone their integrations of bar-room Americana, heartland rock, and a DIY sensibility. Their signature vocals, as with previous releases, remain an exhilaratingly seductive calling card. On melodic opener

ALBUM REVIEW: With Their Fifth Album, Big Thief Find Their Perfect Stride

ALBUM REVIEW: With Their Fifth Album, Big Thief Find Their Perfect Stride

Despite the rock and alt-pop trappings of their 2016 debut, Masterpiece, Big Thief displayed a clear proclivity for stripped-down, acoustic-driven cuts, including “Lorraine” and “Paul.” With their next three albums, and particularly 2019’s U.F.O.F. and Two Hands, Big Thief honed their sound, offering