'Something Else' isn't about reinvention in the purest sense, but reimagination. It shows that The Cranberries are willing (and able) to retrofit their formidable canon, and that's not something every recording act is capable of 25 years into their career.
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Retro Modern: En Vogue – ‘Whatever’
'Whatever' is but one of many moments in En Vogue's canon that show their gift of making music that stretches the limits of listeners' imaginations.
Read More »Retro Modern: Hanson – ‘Middle of Nowhere’
'Middle of Nowhere' has remained as precocious as it was in 1997, brimming with zest and the promise of a band that had a sound that was only just beginning to make itself known.
Read More »Retro Modern: Gorillaz – ‘Saturnz Barz (Spirit House)’
'Saturnz Barz (Spirit House)' is delightfully weird, addictive and promises that its parent record 'Humanz' will be yet another post-modern masterpiece―and head-scratcher―like the four albums that preceded it.
Read More »Retro Modern: Jidenna – ‘The Chief’
Jidenna's debut, 'The Chief', is a frustrating or rewarding listening experience, depending on the individual partaking in its offerings.
Read More »Retro Modern: Macy Gray’s ‘Sexual Revolution’
Tethered by her witty, idiosyncratic lyrics and scratchy, sweet vocals, Macy Gray's "Sexual Revolution" may have been too frothy for American radio at the time of its release, but it remains one of the finest singles released from the 2000s.
Read More »Retro Modern: Bananarama – ‘Pop Life’
Now, with time on its side, fans (and critics) have come to embrace the charm of 'Pop Life,' making it one of the group's essential albums. The LP's cheek and ability are recurring elements central to the enduring appeal of the Bananarama legend.
Read More »Retro Modern: Jamiroquai’s ‘Automaton’
'Automaton' gives voice to the fact that Jamiroquai was, and still is, a prominent fixture in classic and contemporary dance and funk music.
Read More »Retro Modern: Omar Lye-Fook – ‘Love in Beats’
'Love in Beats' (2017) is another solid effort from Omar Lye-Fook, affirming his position as one of the U.K.'s finest exports to espouse the sensuality and heart of R&B music.
Read More »Retro Modern: George Michael’s ‘Freeek!’
In the wake of the singer's untimely death on December 25, 2016, critics, fans and the curious have delved back into George Michael's expansive catalog. Brash, fun and just a little bit rude, 'Freeek!' is one of George Michael's stickier urban-pop confections.
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