Photo Credit: Travis Shinn The Atlas Underground Flood follows the same formula as its predecessors, seeing Morello collaborate more or less successfully with well-known artists on songs ranging from hip-hop to folk-rock. Immediately familiar invites this time consists of British punk-rockers IDLES, legendary Rush-frontman Alex Lifeson, Metallica-guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the American indie-group Manchester Orchestra. But… Read more
*Honorable Mentions*: Lord Huron– ‘Long Lost’ // The Weather Station– ‘Ignorance’ // IDLES –‘CRAWLER’ // Arlo Parks – ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams‘ // Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ // Mdou Moctar – ‘Afrique Victime‘ // Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever‘ & Doja Cat – ‘Planet Her‘ #10. Silk Sonic – ‘An Evening with… Read more
Photo Credit: Laith Al-Majali In 2013, Majid Jordan – the Canadian R&B duo comprised of Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman – had the sort of breakout opportunity most artists can only dream of; being featured on Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” – a top 5 global hit that’s now been certified platinum in… Read more
#10. H.E.R. – ‘Back of my Mind’ R&B vocalist, rapper, and guitar virtuoso are not a trio of hats which are typically worn on the same head, at least not until Back of My Mind, the spectacular twenty-track debut album by Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, better known as H.E.R. (that’s pronounced “her” – make note of that, as… Read more
Photo Credit: Dan Martensen Ed Sheeran’s debut album + (Plus) – which boasted four Top 10 hits in the singer-songwriter’s home country of the UK – made him an easy target for critics; who saw him as a banal, guy-next-door writing forgettable by-the-numbers love songs. For the most part, however, Sheeran’s debut album has aged surprisingly well;… Read more
Photo Credit: Ross Halfin On Dutch hard rock band Volbeat’s fifth studio album Servant of the Mind, far and away the standout track is “Wait a Minute My Girl.” The title alone sounds like something from the early Beach Boys, if not a ’90s boy band, and it certainly sticks out on a tracklisting that includes… Read more
Photo Credit: Jordan Hemingway When Wolf Alice is good, they’re really good. Brilliant. The second track on Wolf Alice’s third studio album is one of the most well-written songs of the year, telling the tale of a young girl’s quest for a spot at the top in the City of Angels (“I’m socially anxious and… Read more
Photo Credit: Phoebe Fox London musician Holly Humberstone released her first EP Falling Asleep at the Wheel in 2020 and has recently returned with a follow-up EP, The Walls are Way Too Thin. While the artist fits in comfortably with the current wave of deceptively-quiet-but-brutally-honest young female singer-songwriters, Humberstone still manages to carve a niche that is all her… Read more
#10. Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’ Much of Sam Fender’s first album was inspired by discussions the Geordie singer had at the bar, but when lockdown made that impossible, he was forced to look inwards. As a result, the politicking of his first album is largely (though not entirely) replaced by an introspective look… Read more
Photo Credit: Adrienne Raquel Texan songstress Kacey Musgraves has been categorized mainly as a country artist since her 2013 debut album Same Trailer Different Park (her last one, Golden Hour, even won a Grammy for Best Country Album in 2018). However, Musgrave’s fifth (this is counting her 2016 Christmas album) studio album Star-Crossed finds her exploring a variety of different musical styles,… Read more