Derya Yıldırım’s ‘Yarın Yoksa’ Is an Astonishing Dream
Derya Yıldırım is a revelation, an artist with the kind of (literal, figurative) voice that makes legends. She finds deep meaning in everything she does musically.
folk pop
Miya Folick Explores Desire on ‘Erotica Veronica’
Throughout Erotica Veronica, Miya Folick admirably balances her lyrical introspection with an engaging array of musical styles.
Vashti Bunyan’s Folk Classic ‘Lookaftering’ Is Still Astonishing
Twenty years later, the Expanded Edition of Vashti Bunyan’s Lookaftering sustains the quiet force of an artist entirely in command of her craft. Nothing else sounds quite like it.
Sunny War Creatively Challenges Conventional Musical Norms
Sunny War is a punk rocker who now lives in the country music capital and writes personal folk-based protest songs about our mutual situation.
Heather Maloney Channels Joni and Father’s Death Into Music
Heather Maloney’s latest release, Exploding Star, suggests the benefits of empathy and mourning when one is not bereaved. Sadness can bring us joy.
Aboubakar Traoré and Balima Are Irresistible on ‘Sababu’
Sababu is a decisive step forward for Aboubakar Traoré and Balima, moving them toward becoming internationally focused West African folk-pop standouts.
Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Subverts Being Trapped in a Glass Castle
For her 1989 album, Taylor Swift wrote breakup songs that cleverly conveyed to fans she had personal freedom even from within her glass castle.
Kishi Bashi’s ‘Kantos’ Is a Sonic Exploration Into Philosophy
Kishi Bashi’s Kantos blends philosophy, identity, and the human condition with genre-defying music and introspective lyrics.
What If They Had a Folk Festival and Nobody Protested?
What if they had a folk festival and nobody protested? Evanston, Illinois hosted its first folk festival without politics from its stages.
Mark Ambor’s ‘Rockwood’ Looks at the Bright Side of Life
Singer-songwriter Mark Ambor prefers the sunlight over the moon, literally and metaphorically. Living for today doesn’t have to mean forgetting the past.
Beabadoobee Is Timeless on ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’
On her third album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Beatrice Laus, also known as beabadoobee, blends folk and rock to create a timeless fantasy world.
Cassandra Jenkins Trips the Cosmos on ‘My Light, My Destroyer’
Brimming with cosmic musings and darkened Americana, My Light, My Destroyer earns Cassandra Jenkins a place among the best contemporary singer-songwriters.