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John Amen

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Goodbye Blues,’ Kiki Cavazos’ Stories and Voice Are Timeless

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Goodbye Blues,’ Kiki Cavazos’ Stories and Voice Are Timeless

Following two independent sets, including the enchanting Early Mountain Songs, Kiki Cavazos releases Goodbye Blues via Brooklyn-based Jalopy Records. Her new songs, much like previous tracks, are memorable for their mythic narratives, detailed imagery, and hard-won wisdom. Most notable, however, is Cavazos’ timeless voice, which evokes the essence of what

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Total Dive’ Brown Horse Balance Originality and Derivation

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Total Dive’ Brown Horse Balance Originality and Derivation

Brown Horse’s first two albums, 2024’s Reservoir and 2025’s All the Right Weaknesses, established the band’s presence in the world of country rock. With their latest set, Total Dive, they further hone and occasionally perfect their MO. The mixes are more lushly arranged. Patrick Turner’s

ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘Future Soul,’ Tedeschi Trucks Band Range Far and Wide

ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘Future Soul,’ Tedeschi Trucks Band Range Far and Wide

Over five albums – including their bluesy debut, Revelator (2011), the socio-politically charged Let Me Get By (2016), and their magnum opus, I Am the Moon (2022) – Tedeschi Trucks Band synthesized their eclectic bents and honed their songcraft. With their sixth album, Future Soul, the band continue to integrate broad affinities,

ALBUM REVIEW: With 'Watterson Hall,' William Clark Green Embraces a Mainstream Sound

ALBUM REVIEW: With 'Watterson Hall,' William Clark Green Embraces a Mainstream Sound

With his seventh album, Watterson Hall, William Clark Green blends old-country stances and new-country sounds, addressing such subjects as love, partying, and feeling down but keeping your chin up. Throughout the fifty-minute set, Green acknowledges the inevitability of hardships while insisting that life is a gift we should never take

ALBUM REVIEW: With 'Let Us Clap' Lamisi Celebrates the Traditional and the Au Courant

ALBUM REVIEW: With 'Let Us Clap' Lamisi Celebrates the Traditional and the Au Courant

Ghanaian activist, poet, and musician Lamisi (assisted by producer Wanlov the Kubolor) merges pop, protest, and an attunement to the ephemeral nature of life. Built around catchy melodies, club-ready beats, and lush textures, Let Us Clap spotlights Lamisi’s affinity for the au courant and reverence for the traditional. The

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘The Knot’, The Waymores Stay True to Their Roots, Tweak Their Vintage Sound

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘The Knot’, The Waymores Stay True to Their Roots, Tweak Their Vintage Sound

The Anthology of American Folk Music, produced by Harry Smith and released in 1952, is a stunningly comprehensive document that compiled folk, country, and blues tracks recorded between 1926 and 1933. Including Mississippi John Hurt, Hoyt Ming and His Pep Steppers, The Carter Family, and Reverend Sister Nelson, among many

ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘Valentine,’ Courtney Marie Andrews Offers Her Most Entrancing Sequence Yet

ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘Valentine,’ Courtney Marie Andrews Offers Her Most Entrancing Sequence Yet

Courtney Marie Andrews’ last two albums, 2020’s Old Flowers and 2022’s Loose Future, brimmed with catchy melodies and accessible phrasing, setting a new bar for the singer-songwriter. With her latest sequence, Andrews continues to court the all-mighty hook, her vocal deliveries more nuanced than ever, her lyrics exemplary