music review

Trees Speak Sculpt the Desert’s Endless Landscape Out of Sound

Trees Speak Sculpt the Desert’s Endless Landscape Out of Sound

Trees Speak’s attention to brevity alone on Timefold signals slightly less-chartered territory for music whose spaciousness seems so familiar.

‘Even the Forest Hums’ Showcases Little-Known Ukrainian Music

‘Even the Forest Hums’ Showcases Little-Known Ukrainian Music

This new compilation celebrates Ukrainian musicians’ abilities to find alternate modes of creating in the face of Soviet state restrictions.

Tashi Dorji’s Guitar Eradicates Western Notions of Authenticity

Tashi Dorji’s Guitar Eradicates Western Notions of Authenticity

Experimentalist Tashi Dorji sometimes sounds like a kid discovering their first couple of chords on a guitar and ultimately heading for the fire pit.

Opeth’s ‘The Last Will and Testament’ Is a New High-Water Mark

Opeth’s ‘The Last Will and Testament’ Is a New High-Water Mark

Opeth’s The Last Will and Testament is their most focused, disciplined piece of music to date and their heaviest work in more than 15 years.

Seasoned MPB Artist Rogê Conjures Classic Samba

Seasoned MPB Artist Rogê Conjures Classic Samba

For fans of samba and bossa nova, Rogê’s Curyman II is a heartfelt homage to these enduring and quintessentially Brazilian styles of music.

St. Lenox Offers a Fifth Installment of Modern American Songs

St. Lenox Offers a Fifth Installment of Modern American Songs

St. Lenox’s new LP reveals there’s always time for new beginnings while working toward the greater goal of a worthy existence. It’s a sardonic masterpiece.

Genius Meets Genius in Caroline Shaw’s New Soundtrack LP

Genius Meets Genius in Caroline Shaw’s New Soundtrack LP

Caroline Shaw is best known these days for being a modern classical music composer, which is why Ken Burns drafted her for his Leonardo da Vinci documentary.

Alex E. Chávez’s ‘Sonorous Present’ Is a Beautiful Meditation

Alex E. Chávez’s ‘Sonorous Present’ Is a Beautiful Meditation

Due to the unique mix and execution of all the elements present, Alex E. Chávez’s Sonorous Present is richly rewarding and an astonishing sonic experience. 

Max Richter’s ‘In a Landscape’ Connects Nature and Humanity

Max Richter’s ‘In a Landscape’ Connects Nature and Humanity

In a Landscape reconciles nature with humanity through lush soundscapes, and it feels like a revelation for newcomers to composer Max Richter’s oeuvre.

Albert King’s ‘In Session’ Offers a Master Class in Mutual Respect

Albert King’s ‘In Session’ Offers a Master Class in Mutual Respect

In Session documents the night a one-time blues jam between guitarists Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan turned into a legendary moment.

Loose Cattle Scare the Herd with ‘Someone’s Monster’

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.

Strangerfamiliar’s ‘La Pena’ Is a Haunting Ode to Trauma

Strangerfamiliar’s ‘La Pena’ Is a Haunting Ode to Trauma

The first full-length album from Strangerfamiliar (aka Ilichna Morasky) sees the musician incorporating synths and exotic percussion on a unique set of songs.