Album Reviews

Gould applies the principles of R&B, funk, and jazz to his arrangements.

Sony Classical's 'Molly's Game' soundtrack from composer Daniel Pemberton comes highly recommended (3.5 stars) and is available on digital and physical disc.

'Landfall' by Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet is extraordinary and one of the most brilliant albums I've heard in a long time.

The tones of dark gravity on 'Greetings From Mars' completely bypass the normal auditory apparatus. You listen but you also experience the music on a primal and visceral level, like a punch in the solar plexus. This is pure, dominant noise rock, consuming, taut with foreboding, and engaging.

This is a beautiful album, full of sumptuous rich melodies laced with exquisite, mellow energy. Reed’s voice is easy to listen to, placid and satisfying. 'If All the World Were Right' is perfect for chilling on a sunny afternoon.

Neu integrates Latin, cabaret, and swing into the ensemble.

Oddnote has it going on in a big way. The storming melodies pack a supercharged punch and thunderous rhythms. And the vocals provide just the right amount of fulminating energy. If you’re into powerful rock music, then 'Oddnote' deserves your full attention.

'Head Above Tide' lacks structure. Lank themes, disproportionate rhythms, and unusual harmonic mannerisms come across as perplexing conglomerations of theorizing discords. The music is pensive and melancholy, dry and lifeless, probably because it’s too complex, too intricate, and too intellectual.

Legacy Recordings' 'Lady Bird' soundtrack comes highly recommended (3.5 stars) and is available in explicit and edited versions.

In 'Pissing Stars,' Efrim Manuel Menuck creates a protest album that is as focused as it is obscured by his own compulsion for noise.