Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Trace Landscapes of Connection and Resilience
Throughout Woodland, Americana songwriters Gillian Welch and David Rawlings underscore the sinews of relationships that are stretched but never torn.
Rick Quinn
Rick Quinn is a writer in the Nashville, TN area interested in the interplay between pop culture, religion, and social justice. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University and is currently managing a burgeoning vinyl habit. He blogs at RickTQuinn and can be found on Twitter @apophatic1.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Declare “Now Is the Time For Joy”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Wild God teems with creative ambitions and sacred content. An ode to the surprise of joy, it is an audacious, reaching record.
Tyler Childers’ New LP Evokes the Golden Age of the Nashville Sound
With Rustin’ in the Rain, Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps have dropped one of the year’s more vital pure country albums. The rich production is impressive.
Graham Nash Gets Personal About Past, Present, and Future in ‘Now’
Now reminds of the treasure that Graham Nash has been and continues to be in the ongoing narrative of rock music and it’s a snapshot of the creative spark.
Joy Oladokun Offers Healing Hymns For Fraught Times in ‘Proof of Life’
Joy Oladokun’s Proof of Life attempts to connect with others struggling, hanging in, and moving forward, an invitation traversing musical genres in its call.
Country Westerns’ ‘Forgive the City’ Bristles With Punk Energy and Barroom Rockers
Country Westerns’ music is tight, propulsive, and unafraid to meld genres. Their “punk chutzpah with classic rock sheen” is unafraid of country and blues flavors.
The Resistant Joy of Boygenius Rocks ‘The Record’
The sound of joy as resistance on Boygenius’ The Record is as radical a statement as London Calling or Nevermind. It’s one of the more significant statements of our time.
Depeche Mode’s ‘Memento Mori’ Is an Embrace of Life in Death’s Shadow
Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori is a testament to the power of art to call us to see more clearly in the absence of resolution.
U.S. Girls ‘Bless This Mess’ Embraces Materiality, Creativity, and Dance Grooves
In Bless This Mess, U.S. Girls identify funk and R&B grooves as conduits for the very pulse of life. It’s brilliantly conceived and executed.
Fantastic Negrito Reimagines His 2022 Album with ‘Grandfather Courage’
Fantastic Negrito’s Grandfather Courage is a compelling, affecting work of acoustic blues and roots music, speaking to the deep currents of blues as an American art form.
Sunny War Preaches Raw Realism in ‘Anarchist Gospel’
Sunny War is one of the most promising, exciting voices in American roots music. Anarchist Gospel is a testament to clear-eyed persistence and gritty hope.
Adeem the Artist Announces With ‘White Trash Revelry’ That It’s Their Country Too
White Trash Revelry offers no elegy for hillbillies. Through deeply empathetic songwriting, Adeem the Artist has made one of the best country albums of 2022.