Tayor Swift’s second surprise album of 2020, evermore, solidifies the questions brought up by folklore: how do we consider her work when it’s not autobiographical anymore?
Bruce Springsteen's music in film and television captured author Caroline Madden's imagination. She discuses her book, Springsteen as Soundtrack, and other things Springsteen in this interview.
In the curious case of Nightwish's Human. :||: Nature., the whole is ultimately less compelling than the individual parts it comprises.
On Lover, Taylor Swift looks back on her youth as both mood and metaphor, marking a significant shift from the storytelling in Red, 1989, and Reputation.
The Psychology of Time Travel balances thrilling mystery, complex characterization, and emotional depth, and is a strong debut for Kate Mascarenhas.
The Saw Doctors are the first band I remember seeing live that wasn't a David Bowie cover artist. On Live in Galway, the band bring their A-game, showing why they're the most beloved and enduring Irish rock outfit not led by Bono.
Within Temptation's newest album Resist pushes musical boundaries but is thematically vague.
Dream Theater's Distance Over Time is at its strongest when it feels improvised and energetic—not overly-planned, but rather like the gang holed up in a studio and decided to lay down some tracks.
If Pratchett and Gaiman's Good Omens is an artifact of '90s apocalypse hullabaloo notable for its wry wit, petty divine figures, and surrealistic flourishes, then The World Is a Narrow Bridge plays a similar role in our angst-ridden, oversaturated media landscape/world of 2016 and beyond.
Travel journalist Stuart Turton borrows and remixes the best of the genre in his fiction debut, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Jenny Hval is writing for the senses, conjuring with almost nauseating accuracy sensations both mundane and extraordinary.
The Oracle Year is less concerned with exploring the ethics of having power and more with using it as a catalyst for an entertaining story.
