Bright Eyes’ 2005 Albums Speak to Our Individual and Collective Discontent
Bright Eyes brought their expansive and messy vision to life 20 years ago with two albums that captivated listeners then as they surely will now.
americana
Flora Hibberd’s ‘Swirl’ Is a Stunning Debut
Flora Hibberd displays grace, timelessness, an accurate ear for classic songcraft, and production touches that wrap Swirl in a glorious bow.
Lilly Hiatt Celebrates Joy with “Kwik-E-Mart” (Premiere)
The newest single from her forthcoming album, Forever, finds Lilly Hiatt romanticizing gas station snacks and walking around in the cold.
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The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2024
Americana has never been better with the quality of music, diversity of styles, and the artists’ demographics in terms of race, gender, and wealth.
Loose Cattle Scare the Herd with ‘Someone’s Monster’
Country-rockers Loose Cattle’s Someone’s Monster suggests that we may all be somebody else’s demons while the songs imply we might be our own worst enemies.
Tribute LP Shines Light on the Under-appreciated David Olney
Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney introduces one of America’s great but overlooked songwriters to a broader audience.
Ross Goldstein Signals a Creative Rebirth with ‘Blunders’
Ross Goldstein’s Blunders embraces the melody and inventiveness of the best pop music but is still unusual and daring enough to stand out.
Chuck Prophet Enlists ¿Qiensave? for a Lively Cumbia Album
Chuck Prophet’s incorporation of Cumbia music on Wake the Dead feels more natural than it sounds, but he remains himself, and we get the best of both worlds.
Charlie Kaplan Embraces Melodic, Psychedelic Grooves on ‘Eternal Repeater’
Office Culture’s Charlie Kaplan takes a little from garage rock and folk rock, producing his most satisfying solo release to date. It genuinely mesmerizes.
Christian Lee Hutson Navigates Nostalgia and New Beginnings
Christian Lee Hutson’s Paradise Pop. 10 is one of those subtle and more nuanced albums, likely causing it to slip under the radar, but Hutson has arrived.
Kelley Mickwee’s Soulful, Spirit-Driven Affection
From the first song on Kelley Mickwee’s Everything Beautiful, you hear her expressive joy and feel her desire to create a cohesive and provocative piece of art.
The Clearwater Swimmers Dive into Warm, Fuzzy Distortion
As they’ve proven on their debut, the Clearwater Swimmers click beautifully as a quartet but are also guided by songwriting of the highest order.