John Paul Davis
Micro Reviews
Begun as a series of posts on BlueSky, these are 300 character max reviews of albums I enjoy. I post them here & they are promulgated to BlueSky.
-
Over smooth, melodic beats, layered, spiritual lyrics examine the costs of assimilation & survival in late capitalism while trying to preserve & maintain love.
-
The singer-songwriter's standout debut, showcasing his passion, abstract poetics & compelling, gravelly singing as well as the album's inventive, sophisticated production.
-
Eshewing the typical pop dream team of songwriting & production collaboraters, Lipa adds psychedelic & dreamy atmospheres to her driving, funky, catchy, bittersweet songs.
-
Expanding their sound with synths, the band delve into the paranoia, anxiety & loneliness of technocracy, embodied in Byrne's innervated, unconventional singing.
-
Backed by piano, bass, drums, the guitarist's unconventional sense of melody, innovative thumb-picking, & exquisite technique make this a classic.
-
Hushed, breezy, emotive singing about the fissures & failures of capitalism marked by versatile, dazzling arrangements that stun, seduce & soothe.
-
With an all-star cast of musicians the singer-songwriter muses on political unrest & spiritual rebirth over daring, funky, eccentric, perfectly imperfect grooves.
-
Over fluid rhythms, idiosyncratic interplay of guitar & bass, & eclectic arrangments, tenderness & anger slurringly sung with vulnerability in a weightless warble. Wonderfully wierd.
-
The pianist brings the composer's studies in tempo & textures to vivid life with sensitivity, a sense of fun, grace, & matchless, breathtaking technique.
-
The Velvet Underground frontman finds his own footing on this stripped-back, weird & queer album, employing his silliness & wit to mischievous, delightful ends, resulting in a classic.
-
Set against a shifting sonic landscape of stuttering beats, spiky bass & pulsing snyths, Staples examines the contradictions of rapid fame & the cost of transcending one's origins.
-
Recorded alone live with no overdubs, the meditative songs combine Tignor's intimate, haunting violin with percussion & electronics in a cinematic whole.
-
The 20-piece band captures a live set of new material that highlights their groove-based, funky & explortatory improvisations, delightful interplay & top-notch musicianship.
-
Six lush, loose, bluesy pastoral atmospheric songs born of improvisation exploring spirituality & humanism, dynamically moving between tranquility & intensity, the ebb & flow of passion.
-
Layers of synthesizer & prepared piano merge, collide & reflect each other opening doorways into exuberance or peacefulness or, often, both simultaneously.
-
The trio expand their sound to include synthesizers & saxophone, more dynamic rhythms & more probing lyrics that capture the frustration of love & life in the modern era.
-
The adventurous tenor saxonphonist, backed by piano, drums, bass, plays classic ballads with warmth, introspection, emotional depth & tender lyrcisim.
-
The Wilco songwriter & frontman's solo outing with family & friends features the tunefulness & sonic adventurousness & texture that marks his most beloved previous work.
-
LaMontagne's knack for unique phrasing & rhyme, & his smoky, near-whisper singing are perfectly framed in the sparse atmosphe of quiet guitars & swelling strings.
-
The band reunites after 15 years with energetic new tunes & lively revisits, an intoxicating brew of relaxed grooves, passionate vocals & dazzling musicianship.
-
Amidst an intricate soundscape of muted synths, minimalist effects-laden guitar phrases & textural drums, Bridgers explores her own darkness, broken faith & small steps toward healing.
-
The celebrated organist covers songs by Beck as groovy, funky instrumentals, revealing the durability of the songwriter's infectious melodies & arrangements.
-
The elastic, expansive, eclectic, atmospheric muisc provides a shimmering dreamscape over which Ocean's free-form melodies drift & cohere around loneliness, loss & a search for love.
-
Simultaneously danceable & experimental, these witty, gritty, shiny songs showcase Grimes's abilities as a daring producer & skillfull songwriter, as well as an emotive, engaging singer.
-
The veteran rapper (re-)examines masculinity & maturity with wicked flow & his trademark wit, alongside an afterparty's worth of guests, all of them having a hell of a lot of fun.
-
Exploring the tension between emotional risk & emotional safety, the band embraces a big 1980s sound, allowing singer Maria McKee to widen the range of her powerful, heartfelt singing.
-
Masterful storytelling & unsparing self-examination via soul-baring lyrics sung in a gravelly baritone as lovely melodies to sparse, beautiful acoustic guitar.
-
Meditating on grief and loss, Delmhorst invites friends to sing soaringly & tenderly with her against atmospheric, texture-laden soundscapes that alchemy sorrow to hope.
-
Celebrations & examinations of the hopes & heartbreaks of women emobodied in stunning, emotive singing against lovely, warm, uncomplicated arrangments centered around piano, guitar, organ.
-
Eccentric & fun oddball stories sung & spoken over funky rhythms, groovy horns, minimalist guitar, woven to cast a hypnotic, humorous & human spell.
-
Sensual, fun singing (& rapping!) exploring young adulthood in NYC over ecelctic, hook-laden music built on unconventional sampling, a funky rhythm section, & crackerjack musicianship.
-
Loose, organic, funky playing & heart-on-sleeve singing, dynamic song structures, danceable arrangements, atmospheric soundscapes all combine in a monumental heartbeat of an album.
-
Clever, poetic lyrics contemplating endings & loss sung earnestly to compelling melodies set against dynamic, driving, gorgeous songs swelling with synths & winding guitars.
-
While the lyrics muse on missteps, miscommunicaiton & troubled times, the music, whether mellow or rowdy, is warm & inviting, a soulful & cozy center amidst chaos.
-
Energetic & dazzling interplay & soloing as this trio of piano, drums & bass interpret 5 standards in a glittering display of deep musicianship & friendship embodied as music.
-
Daring melodies, shapeshifting arrangements fill these songs with electricity. Held together by a tight, two-kit rhythm section, horns, guitars & slithering electronics meld genres.
-
Legacy, generational trauma & heartbreak can't weigh down these easily meloodic acoustic-guitar-driven tunes decorated with shimmering electronics & avant-garde production.
-
Meditations on mortality & artistry with a muturing sociopolitical perspective, wry humor & heartfelt storytelling delivered with elastic flow & genre-agnostic shifting production.
-
Eclectic influences & dynamic, fluid singing elevate this adventurous collection of originals & covers decorated with smooth synths, smart guitars & uncluttered percussion.
-
Confessional, honest lyrics sung with nuance, intimacy & melodic dexterity over ambitious, warm music that pays homage to but evolves from its 1970s influences.
-
The trio's infectious, energetic live sound is impeccably captured in their debut, which showcases Folds's preternatural gifts for hook-writing, melodies, irony, & evocative singing.
-
Drums, two-string bass, sax & vocals make up the entire sonic palette of this trio's startlingly full & emotionally rich sound, a perfect vehicle for their bruised-heart tales.
-
Tasty, infectious horns decorate these tightly-written, loosely-played, earnestly-sung tunes about love & wanderlust backed by a groovy, in the pocket rhythm section.
-
Genre, song structure & time itself become playgrounds where big-hearted generousity permeates the music & lyrics while the bright bird of Spalding's voice acrobats above.
-
Accordion, Hammond organ, mandolin add emotional depth to the usual rock instrumentation, paired with soul-probing lyrics hung on smooth, memorable melodies.
-
Innovative arrangements, careful instrumentation, impressionistic lyrics, delicate, emotive singing result a gorgeous songs that bounce & swoop & ascend.
-
Ironic, sometimes flippant but never unserious lyrics spun into catchy melodies add a sense of mortality & menace to these deftly-played, rollicking, energetic & fun songs.
-
Over propulsive bass, swinging drums, & blues-soaked, keenly instinctive piano, trumpet & sax trade smoothly perfect solos improvised off catchy, classic hooks.
-
Kelis lays her heartache & hopes out with her honeyed, soulful singing backed by chewy guitars, funky drums, groovy, spidery bass, & a boisterous brass section. Inventive & energetic.
-
Loose, lively playing paired with tight arrangements & sharp melodic hooks, probing & celebrating romance, ageing shot through with snatches of anxiety.
-
Two master vocal improvisers with almost opposite approaches breathe fresh life into mid-century standards thanks to their playfulness & mutual respect.
-
Sparse, poetic lyrics sung tenderly, in shy near-whispers of elegant melodies, backed usually by intricate acoustic guitar picking & atmospheric piano building to a spiritual shine.
-
Pivoting from synths & slick production, the band aim for a quieter, but transcendent sound that perfectly elevates their poetry of wonderment in everyday delights & sufferings.
-
Inventive blending of live music & samples, colliding genres decades before the internet in these danceable, fun songs whose easy melodies & winking lyrics belie their seriousness.
-
The artists blend their sounds. Intricately-picked acoustic guitar over ramshackle cluttered beats & gorgeous harmonies sung tenderly, creating something unique, fresh & inviting.
-
McLachlan probes the elusive mysteries & passions of the human condition via her haunted melodies over unconventional beats, uneasy synths & intricate arrangements.
-
The band captures the feral energy & crackling danger of its live sound while sacrificing none of the swaggering confidence, wit, or wisdom of its clever, fun lyrics.
-
Hazy & angular poetics adorn these coming-of-age tales to the backdrop of sweeping cinematic analog synths, atmospheric guitars, & durable, interlocking rhythms.
-
Wry, subversive lyrics wrapped in infectious hooks set to driving, skillfully-wrought groove-oriented beats, with occasional flourishes on trumpet & synth. The catchiest brainy music.
-
Uncanny strata of samples coalesce into a psychedelic & funky sheen of splendor & joy. Lazy Saturday afternoon nostalgia, shot through with workaday poetry
-
A bedrock of reliable grooves supports deep, rich textures & subtle layers unfolding patiently into soundscapes focused more on atmosphere & evolution than melody.
-
Vivid lyrical imagery & meditations on a vibrant inner life as experienced in encounters in the natural world over rhythmic acoustic picking & striking chord progressions.
-
Warm, lustrous, hypnotic bluesy riffs fade in & out over atmospheric organ all supporting sultry, dreamy singing of oblique, mournful lyrics.
-
Energetic & urgent. The band channels hope & history, rage & rejoicing in these epic songs that celebrate & transcend their eclectic influences. As timely today as 35 years ago.
-
Striking, unusual melodies sometimes almost whispered, sometimes belted, always perfect for the plainspokenly poetic lyrics, backed by wheezy, creaky instruments & elegant production
-
Owens features her own ethereal singing more confidently on an album of warm, captivating compositions that lean into repetition as an almost spiritual kind of change.
-
Black Thought delivers some of the most vulnerable & personal lyrics of his career, backed by the cinematic bottom-heavy smooth grooves of El Michels Affair
-
A musically bold, lyrically rich, almost hedonistically-arranged debut. Artistically daring, infectiously hooky & big big fun.
-
The composer revisits his solo piano works, recording them during the pandemic in the room where he writes, resulting in an intimate & tender intensity.
-
Beautiful & catchy as it is ambitious & lush, this record was a leap forward not just for writer/arranger/producer Brian Wilson but for recorded music as a whole. A masterpiece.
-
Lanois literally deconstructs his own liquid, deft guitar playing, & that of veteran session musicians then plays the studio itself, in an ever-inventive ambient gem.
-
The band distills their sound into 10 groovy, catchy, melodically-pristine bangers that harnesses the energy of their live act resulting in their most engaging record since 2005's Z.
-
Unpretentious poetry about friendship & love sung in resonant baritone backed by layered guitars, spidery bass & fluttering, complex drums yielding dramatic yet comforting intensity
-
Dreamy, gentle guitar-based, melodically catchy tunes & graceful, expressive singing give a glow to the lyrics' quiet, quirky domestic cozy.
-
Breakup songs elevated by energetic arrangements, impassioned singing & rewarding lyrical metaphors to theater-filling anthems that transubstantiate to joy.
-
Versatile, sharp, expressive singing breathes edgy, new life into this set of mid-20th-century American standards tastefully arranged, buoyed by bright, emotive piano.
-
Shifting in production between bare-bones tenderness & crowded dancefloor rapture, the duo embrace their quirks & showcase their writing. A pandemic album celebrating live performance.
-
The sonic adventurers turn the distortion down & sing quietly, close to the mic, to deliver this dreamlike, emotionally rich slice of night.
-
Adventurous, boundary-pushing compositions & improvisations from a quartet of young risk-takers who ride the balance between groove & experimentation made this album a classic.
-
Smith comes into his own as a writer/arranger, playing & singing everything on this exquisite balance between ambitious compositions & lo-fi production. Lovely melodies; sad poetry
-
An unflinching examination of addiction, its causes & effects, all achingly sung & supported by metamorphic, searing & gorgeous arrangements of shifting time signatures & tempos.
-
Lush, steady, interlocking grooves pulse above eclectic samples providing a sure foundation for shapely melodies well-suited to the emotionally intimate lyrics.
-
Mindful of tradition while original, the band explores young adulthood, romance & responsibility in these funky, smooth, fun, songs, elevated by silky, effortless singing.
-
By their 7th album the band were masters of their craft & it shows on this compelling, danceable collection of bangers & ballads. Michael Hutchence's bluesy, swaggering singing was never better.
-
Crystalline, emotive singing, evocative, poetic lyrics, sometimes sparse, sometimes lush arrangements make these songs of devotion, love, & yearning glisten timelessly.
-
Dynamic, shapeshifting compositions that are also warm, catchy tunes with oblique memorable lyrics, sweetly sung, examining both inner turmoil & middle-aged revelation & joy.
-
Lyrical, inventive, gentle interplay, tightly interlocked & playfully loose, between three masters of their instruments. Simultaneously adventurous & contemplative.
-
Buckley's versatile, shapeshifting, aching singing & dexterous, stirring guitar playing elevate these gorgeously-written tunes of longing to emotional & spiritual transcendence.
-
Infectious melodies & a swinging, nimble, boisterous band imbue these lean, expertly-crafted songs of losing love & finding oneself with joy in home, & the glittering world
-
Necessary & sometimes difficult truths & steadfast resilience delivered in exquisite lyricism sung sweetly over finely-crafted, warm, textured beats.
-
Bright, jubilant singable songs of gratitude, reflection & joy in the face of mortality backed with arresting, winding, textured layers.
-
Deftly, gorgeously layered eclectic instrumentation supports the strophic songs' backbone of acoustic guitar & Sam Beam's impressionistic lyrics tenderly, achingly sung.
-
Heartbreak, anger, pain & longing fill this album of baroque, amibitous, sweeping moods achingly inhabited by Wainwright's powerful, emotive singing.
-
Wit, wordplay, charm & character all woven together in these deceptively complex but catchy tunes. Sting is an arresting singer, baring his heart & having fun doing it.
-
Expertly balanced between sincere, emotive philosophy & witty, cutting satire, captivatingly sung, set against gorgeous, lush arrangements.
-
The brothers Gutiérrez play warmly, exploratoritavely, kaleidoscopically, expansively over spare percussion to craft a sound larger than the sum of its parts.
-
Analog synths, old-school drum machines, acoustic guitars & Lanegan's soulful baritone evoke a spellbinding catharsis of a life's sorrows, looking toward a new dawn.
-
Simultaneously adventurous & accessible arrangements of imaginative, satisfying compositions of elevated joy & sorrow. Could be from 50 years ago or 25 years in the future.
-
Delicate, intricate, tightly-structured songs that evolve into melodic & rhythmic complexity, paired with tender quiet singing & haunted, introspective lyrics of growth & change.
-
If anything is proof critics are usually full of shit, it's this brilliant, joyful, weird, moving & gorgeous album which was universally panned by everyone, all of whom were dead wrong.
-
Sturdy, textural beats, lo-fi & hi-fi synth voices, gritty & lush production, tension & release, all sounding like the entrance to a new world, the doorway into a spring morning.
-
Kinetic rhythms & intricate but not overwrought arrangements showcase the sublime melodies & interplay between musicians at the heart of this adventurous, ambitious album.
-
Trading the glossy, electronic sound of her previous work for acoustic & organic sounds, the big-voiced singalongs handle weighty reflections deftly & effortlessly.
-
3 established artists collaborate in this testament to teamwork & friendship, enthusiastic & energetic, highlighting each member's best artistic qualities with top-notch songcraft.
-
Wood's arresting, elastic singing, along with his band's funky, upbeat arrangements gives these plaintive, catchy, & fun love songs life beyond just their hooky appeal.
-
Deeply personal lyrics & striking imagery matched by new vocabularies for the guitar all wrapped in songs expertly & hookily crafted to balance experimentation & accessibility.
-
In a time of fear & sorrow, an album of joy. Ecstatic exultation, optimism & faith, weathered by decades of experience with doubt, grief & hard times.
-
Beguiling blood harmonies soulfully-delivered over minimalist cajón-grounded beats on a collection that explores & celebrates love, familial, spiritual & romantic.
-
Cinematic & imaginative music, exquisitely-crafted melodies sung with verve, wittily & abstrusely exploring nostalgia, disillusion, creativity & the tension between art & commerce.
-
Glorious gorgeous collages of analog synths, live drums, funky guitars, catchy melodies. Reflections on the cycles & patterns of adult life: love, death, forgiveness, healing.
-
Songs of financial & spiritual anxiety but also songs of restoration & return. Inviting, languid arrangements, eerie cinematic atmospheres, earnest lyrics.
-
Stunning & elegant compositions charged with tumultuous energy that pay homage to Mingus's influences without being derivative. Suave & bluesy solos abound. A masterpiece.
-
Melodic guitar leads, room-filling riffs, winding song structures, inventive effects make anthems of the angry, grieving, frustrated lyrics. One song is aptly titled "Big Riff."
-
Introspection, yearning & spiritual ecstasy set against spacious, dreamlike but driving songs marked by daring, provocative melodies.
-
Backed by the Metropole Orkest, Mvula performs inventively-arranged, transcendent, shimmering, magical versions of her songs. expansive & yet somehow also intimate.
-
Lush, expansive, ambitious arrangements & ascending, anthemic melodies paired with spiritual introspection & grand expressions of love & healing.
-
Heartbreak without the 808s. Beck exorcises the demons of his divorce via his postmodern lyrics over acoustic guitars & sweeping, haunting strings & subtle analog synth soundscapes.
-
Acoustic instruments & the human voice, eloquently arranged. Warm & radiant, potent & graceful meditations on love, death & the human spirit. A masterclass in songwriting.
-
Adventurous, opulent, groove-heavy covers of 1970s classics by Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield & others that crackle with life & urgency
-
Witty, literate lyrics woven into tender, pretty melodies accompanied by energetic acoustic guitar-driven songs of frustration & faith surviving "the daily grind of being what we are."
-
An everyman's lament at the state of the world - war, racism, poverty, climate change, set to deft, fervant melodies against a symphonic backdrop of daring arrangements.
-
Gritty & groovy, boisterous & bluesy, lively & funky, showcasing Saadiq's tight songwriting & ear for a great hook.
-
This quartet interact flawlessly, almost telepathically. Melodic, effortless solos, impeccable timing. The art that hides the art. A pure delight.
-
Shapeshifting arrangements of acoustic guitars over warm synths bloom into magnificence just as it seems they'll fall apart, much like the album's meditations on love, anxiety & loss.
-
More melodic, sometimes anthemic, the band are cohesive, expressive & exquisite on every track. More reflective in places, while sacrificing none of their fire.
-
Working class stories, probing protest songs & contemplations of faith & the American dream set to smoky, bluesy, rocking tunes by a tight, world-class band. Still timely, 40 years later.
-
Graceful evocative piano, perfect chord progressions, luxurious horns, cadent, swaying melodies.
-
Endlessly inventive arrangements, operatic in scope, these songs celebrate the birth of a child & new love with idiosyncratic brainy lyrics.
-
Rainy, psychedelic, haunted, questioning, questing songs, lushly-arranged, tenderly sung.
-
Vibrant arrangements & spectacular melodies support the reflective, pastoral lyrics that meditate on aging, longing & love.
-
The band cements their longevity with these finely-crafted, mature tunes that retain all their early-career energy. Searing guitars, spidery bass, thundering drums & a whole lot of heart.
-
Hassell defies expectations of what sounds a trumpet can make, gliding, soaring, soothing over polyrhythms, synth pads & stuttering pulsing bass lines. Brian Eno & Michael Brook sit in on some songs.
-
His first with a full band, exploring themes central to his 55 year career: spirituality, love, progressive politics. Lush arrangements, tender melodies & his intricate guitar picking abound.
-
Adroit & lively lyricism set to compelling, dynamic melodies over mostly solo acoustic guitar played energetically.
-
Without deviating from their warm melange of soul, R&B, disco & hip-hop Jungle expand their sonic palette for a richer, more spacious sound.
-
Groovy, skittery percussion & funky basslines over string ensembles as Byrne's quirky, metaphoric lyrics capture the paranoias & anxieties of post-9/11 America.
-
Washington's spacious, glimmering electric funk never looses its way, thanks in large part to bassist Louis Johnson's nimble grooves & Washington's always-ascending soprano sax.
-
Soulful & spare, this album of mostly ballads evokes the almost monastic 3 year period Rollins spent alone, honing his technique by playing on the Williamsburg Bridge.
-
25 years in, the indie band delivers a brooding collection of songs that sound like soundtracks to films that don't exist. Gritty, rapturous, cutting, this quiet music should be played loud.
-
The Dublin rock band expands their sound while staying true to the elements that made their first 2 albums so compelling. Still hard to believe these lads are 25 & under given how well they write & play.
-
Breakup songs that celebrate moving away from unhealthy love & find joy in the music itself which ranges from R&B, soul, psychedelia, rock & jazz that comes together as a unified whole guided by Howard's genius.
-
Gabriel fronts an all-star cast of musicians from around the world, blending alt-rock & subtle electronica to house his plaintive, incisive, musing explorations of love, grief, reconciliation & healing.
-
The band evolves their alt-country Mexo-Americana, focusing here on intimate examinations of love & self-exploration. Fetching melodies & disarming, quietly poetic lyrics, tenderly sung.
-
The quartet Redman assembled for his solo debut reunites 25 years later. 4 giants of contemporary jazz deliver a set of lively, masterful interplay, deeply felt.
-
Which sets previously-unheard lyrics of Woody Guthrie's to music written by Bragg & Wilco. Vibrant glittering folk-rock with infectious melodies highlighting Guthrie's still-applicable fiery politics.
-
Their most recent, full of winding post-prog song structures, big satisfying riffs, soaring vocals, mystical contemplative lyrics, thundering drums. The godfathers of emo made the Platonic ideal of area rock records.
-
A majestic, expressive & expansive set that finds the band at its finest. Simultaneously uplifting & daring. Wordless hymns of boundless love & hope. Sunday morning on Saturday night.
-
Layers of cozy, textured analog synths & Jenn Wasner's fuzzy indie-rock guitar licks foreground her warm, inviting singing on an album that explores the twin pulls of relationships & artistic work.
-
A love-letter to his family & celebration of his Latine heritage. Synth-driven avant-pop that sounds wholly original backs his soft, tender singing & joyous, evocative bilingual lyrics.
-
Percussive acoustic guitar, minimalist beats, occasional piano & a solid spine of bass, as Doughty explores love & sobriety with his Beat-poetic lyrics, sing-rapping & gift for hooky melodies.
-
Their 2nd as a trio. Moody, dreamy, introspective, it blends daring & gorgeous electronics with Buck's jangly riffs & Stipe's soaring melodies. An album that grew on me, now one of my favorites by this band.
-
Shimmery orchestral folk-rock with intricate arrangements, unusual song structures & poetic lyrics on the need for love & the difficulties in loving & being loved. Case's singing is seductive & powerful.
-
Angular, funky, melodic improvised tunes highlight both their technical mastery & emotional sensitivity & Mehldau's Beat-poetry style spoken word. Pushes the envelope of what jazz can be.
-
Dynamic, genre-bending folk-jazz driven by musical curiosity reveling in the joy of discovery, all supporting Aftab's versatile crooning, which is simultaneously tender & passionate.
-
The 2 masters recorded versions of their own songs with a quartet. Lyrical, playful, & dynamic. Everything you hope for from a record called Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
-
his 1957 comeback album with Miles Davis's band at the time. He struggled with addiction, was in & out of prison. His wife arranged the session & he showed up surprised. 5 hours later this brilliant record existed.
-
I have to "develop" in Webflow this morning, so I'm listening to this classic. They shake off the constrictions of "nu metal" & forge their own unique daring sound. Aggressive riffs over gorgeous soundscapes; melodic soulful vocals.
-
Infectious, groovy, funky, sublime, melodic & sometimes delightfully weird, this double album more than lives up to the promise of its title.
-
The album finds him paring back the lush arrangements to focus on the songwriting, which is magnificent & sorrowful. Minimalism blended with orchestral soul gives room for aching anthemic melodies & heartbreak.
-
In which they expand their sonic palette & songwriter John Baizley unlocks the versatility & power of his voice (writing & singing). Infectious riffs; beautiful playing by a band discovering their potential.
-
A left turn for him, from straightforward jazz, in which he blends pop, rock and chamber music elements with assistance from producer Jon Brion. The gorgeous, moody & daring first act of his evolution.
-
Folk rock sometimes layered with elements of trap, indie rock, & ambient over gorgeous melodies. Incisive poetic lyrics examine the impact of smartphones on our love lives, politics & art.
-
A dystopian, agitated, restless but rewarding creative leap showcasing Grian Chattan's growing & imaginative ability in both singing and writing. The band charts new sonic territory while remaining true to their sound.
-
A sometimes dreamy, sometimes joyous genre-blurring collection that is simultaneously earthbound & ascending. Lush rootsy, bluesy layers beneath her endlessly versatile expressive voice.
-
The post-punk band expand their sound with the help of Kenny Beats & Nigel Godrich, adding more experimental soundscapes & beautiful melodies while not compromising on their aggressive, fun, transgressive and danceable foundation.
-
The album teams him with bassist Christian McBride & drummer Brian Blade for a buoyant, rhythmic, inventive & fun set. Three masters of their craft just enjoying the hell out of playing together & improvising.
-
My first purchase of 2025. Anxiety & tension lift off & ascend. Arpeggiated synths, epic post-rock progressions, smeary pedal-mutated transcendent guitar melodies. Perfect soundtrack for the early days of 2025.
-
A pristine, glittering jazz fusion set, with Bley on organ. Winding but melodic organ / piano / electric guitar solos abound, over the solid spine of Steve Swallow, Victor Lewis & Don Alias’s tight rhythm section.
-
Simon imagines an alternate self who never made it big & tours the bar circuit. The band is amazing (Steve Gadd! Tony Levin!) - what if jazz musicians played bar rock? & the lyrics are poetic & probing.
-
Explores the impact of race & racism at home & in the larger world, over over gorgeous music blending classic R&B & soul with elements of hip-hop, electronica, indie rock & jazz, set to matchless melodies.
-
Stylistically adventurous, wide-ranging in its influences, this empathetic, witty, soulful record is daring, but in ways that draw you into the finely crafted songs & tightly written poetic lyrics.
-
Melodic, playful & swinging, a melange of bebop, cool jazz, and heavily inspired by Duke Ellington. At this point in Burrell’s career he was a master of his craft & this album is testament to that.
-
A landmark for ambient music but also just a gorgeous record, uncertain as it is calming, melancholy as it is optimistic, haunted as it is playful.
-
Barron is one of the most lyrical jazz pianists I've heard, & this 2016 album melds that with impeccable rhythm, effortless swing & accents of Latin jazz. Saw them at the Vanguard recently - a delight.
-
The band examines love & loss in many forms (of place, romance, friends, family, God, country etc) over piano-driven alt-pop. One of their masterpieces.
-
(did Bowie name *his* “Changesone” inspired by this?) Opening track “Remember Rockefeller At Attica” is one of my favorite jazz songs of all time. The song’s playful, serpentine melody is 51 bars long.
-
Secular hymns of questioning, wandering, rock bottom & redemption. Lots of harmonies between Bono / Edge / Lanois / Eno. The most prog U2 ever got. Pitchfork hated it. But I think it's gorgeous.
-
Dylan's band on this includes members of the Heartbreakers and Los Lobos. Modern anxieties shot through with love & anger.
-
Joyful, masterful interplay between oud, santour & percussion.
