(Picture credit.) Pop music is always at its truest when it’s speaking about heartbreak. When tougher guitars and a racing, drum-driven backbeat start infringing and the music tips over more clearly into rock ‘n’ roll there are other aspects of … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: I Never Learn

(Picture credit.) I was nervous about the new Wye Oak album. I have significant admiration for the duo’s previous record, 2011’s Civilian, but it was clear that Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack were moving in a new direction, one seemingly … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: Shriek

I keep hunting my brain for the proper hyperbole to affix to the new, self-titled release from St. Vincent. The album, a release that seems at once playful and revolutionary, almost demands such breathless praise. There’s an implicit invitation to … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: St. Vincent

I’m prepared to admit that I can’t always readily identify what makes a great album great. Sometimes, sure, there’s a clear vision, a great leap forward for an artists, or some wholly evident backstory that adds depth to the melding … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: Burn Your Fire for No Witness

Sometime during the making of Too True, the third full-length from Dum Dum Girls, frontwoman Dee Dee (also known as Kristin Welchez) literally lost her voice. According to her, that caused a slow-down in the creative process, giving extra scrutiny … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: Too True

My strong impression of Bruce Springsteen’s general approach to crafting albums is that he agonizes over every bit of every song, and then he agonizes some more about the way those songs fit together. This leads to the perception (and … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf: High Hopes