ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Humble Quest,’ Maren Morris Finds Meaning in the Search
Though one could assume with an album title like Humble Quest that Maren Morris has reached some end of a mythic journey, her third album doesn’t burden itself with having all the answers. It is made up of the work Morris has done, and continues to do, to carve
Freakwater and The Mekons Unite as Freakons for Rich Vein of Songwriting About Coal
Freakons is a supergroup of sorts, a pairing of Jon Langford and Sally Timms from long-running UK punk rockers The Mekons and pioneering Kentucky-based alt-country outfit Freakwater’s Catherine Irwin and Janet Beveridge Bean. After first connecting nearly a decade ago, Freakons is releasing its eponymous debut studio album this
ALBUM REVIEW: Cowboy Junkies Weave Signature Sound Into Covers on ‘Songs of the Recollection’
Like many bands, Canada’s Cowboy Junkies started out relying heavily on other people’s songs. Their debut album, 1986’s Whites Off Earth Now!!, consisted largely of blues standards, while a wonderfully woozy version of the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” from the group’s sophomore outing raised their
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 roadhouse- and
ALBUM REVIEW: After a Year Off the Internet, Gabriel Kahane Soars With ‘Magnificent Bird’
Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane has all the usual digital tools required to be a musician in 2022. He's got the social media accounts and the websites and the Bandcamp presence, because without them, you might as well be trying to telegraph your fans. Which makes it all the bolder
ALBUM REVIEW: Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves Mesmerize With Banjo and Fiddle
Anyone who has ever listened to a classical Indian raga knows the feeling: A little way into the performance you stop listening to the individual performers and get swept up into a dreamy musical trance.
The same trippy effect can come from what otherwise would be stringband old-timey Americana. At