King Tuff’s Song Crafting Has Never Been Stronger Than on ‘The Other’
King Tuff's nihilistic tendencies overshadow the confusingly hopeful tone he was attempting on The Other.
Christopher Thiessen
Music, coffee, and film enthusiast from Nashville, TN whose work has been published at PopMatters as well as his personal journal and sometimes coffee house napkins.
Saba Sends a Cry for Help for His Beloved Chicago on ‘CARE FOR ME’
Although delivered as a plea, Saba's message on Care For Me is necessarily uplifting and therapeutic.
J. Cole Works on His Coping Mechanisms with ‘KOD’
J. Cole explores coping with pain in a loosely conceptual form on KOD with varying effectiveness.
Post Animal Release One of the Great 2018 Rock Albums and This Is Their Story
Post Animal deliver an excellent debut, When I Think of You in a Castle, full of psychedelic and hard rock history that never ceases to be a blast.
Friends and Family Celebrate the Man in Black on ‘Johnny Cash: Forever Words’
It's with a deeply shared respect that the gathered family, friends, and artists on Forever Words have completed Johnny Cash's newly found poetry and lyrics into well-crafted collaborations.
Cardi B Delivers Strong Album Debut on ‘Invasion of Privacy’
On Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B combines the uncompromising confidence of "Bodak Yellow" with just enough pop appeal to create a no-filler collection that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact.
Chuck Strangers Enters the Old vs. New Rap Debate on ‘Consumers Park’
Despite Chuck Strangers' excellent production, his arguments in the old vs. new debate, however accurate they may be, are preached to the choir and do very little to inspire change.
Jeff Rosenstock’s ‘POST-‘ Is an Important Journey Into America’s Broken Society
Jeff Rosenstock's POST- is a frustrating, yet important, journey into American society to be sure, but its eventual optimism makes it worth remembering in the current soundtrack of our country trying to make a change.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Bests Their Debut with ‘Tearing at the Seams’
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have taken their authentic late '60s soul aesthetic and refined it with tight songwriting and instrumental performances, creating a more electrifying album experience than their debut.
The Opposite of New in Music Is Not Old
Nothing Has Been Done Before notes that the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Drive-By Truckers, and even Bob Dylan created something new in this century by making an argument for a different understanding of our past and how it impacts our present.
Franz Ferdinand Invite Us to Dance Through the World’s Problems on ‘Always Ascending’
Despite some missteps, Always Ascending features enough excellent dance tracks, experimentation, and optimism to keep Franz Ferdinand fun and relevant a decade and a half into their career.
‘Let the Record Play’ Marks a New Chapter for Moon Taxi
Though Moon Taxi's offering of optimistic pop rock serves well as an energy and mood booster, it's a step back in creativity from past efforts.