Joe Sweeney

Robert Plant: Lullaby and… the Ceaseless Roar
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Robert Plant: Lullaby and… the Ceaseless Roar

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 / 22 September 2014
You have to respect Robert Plant's desire to take the crowd-pleasing, Grammy-approved formula of his last few records into wilder, hazier places. But the results don’t always reach their intended target.
Play It Right: An Interview with Sylvan Esso
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Play It Right: An Interview with Sylvan Esso

By
 / 18 July 2014
They were backup singers for Feist. A remix project happened between them. Now, Sylvan Esso's debut album is a thing to behold.
Jungle: Jungle
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Jungle: Jungle

By
 / 16 July 2014
This British retro-funk duo has created something unpretentious enough to energize a dance floor at 2 a.m., yet curious enough to suggest there’s something just a tad thornier under the surface.
Wiz Khalifa: 28 Grams
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Wiz Khalifa: 28 Grams

By
 / 1 July 2014
28 Grams is full of interesting, moody, personality-drenched beats, many of which go to waste because they’re not suited to the artist.
Hank Williams: The Garden Spot Programs, 1950
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Hank Williams: The Garden Spot Programs, 1950

By
 / 18 June 2014
Recorded live in the same Nashville studio where Williams made his records, these tracks separate the singer’s mournful vocals just enough from their backing to echo the eerie, unmoored loneliness of the lyrics.
Kool Keith: Demolition Crash
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Kool Keith: Demolition Crash

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 / 9 June 2014
It’s never been more obvious that Kool Keith needs the stabilizing influence and instincts of a quality producer. Now more than ever, he’s Magneto without his helmet.
Miranda Lambert: Platinum
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Miranda Lambert: Platinum

By
 / 4 June 2014
Here's a chart-baiting country album that also happens to be an exploration of the spoils, perils, and hypocrisies of female stardom.
De La Soul: Smell the Da.I.S.Y.
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De La Soul: Smell the Da.I.S.Y.

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 / 7 May 2014
It’s a blast to hear Posdnous whispering the chorus to “The Magic Number” – but what this ad hoc remix approach really does is get you to focus on Dilla’s beats. And they’re tremendous.