Dave Hayden

Iron and WineThe Shepherd’s DogSub PopThe full-band arrangements might take a bit to get used to but at its core, The Shepherd’s Dog is still the same Iron and Wine we all love—with plenty of instantly memorable melodies and exquisite, tender lyrics that bridge the secular and the sacred—all wrapped in the familiar warmth of […]

Rick WhiteThe Rick White Album Blue FogNews of a Rick White album should bring to mind early Elevator to Hell records — songs were recorded the day of conception on a four-track. But this isn’t that kind of record. Nor is it the sonic and psychedelic overload of Elevator. It fits somewhere in the middle […]

VariousIt’s A Team Mint Christmas: Volume 2(Mint)For those who find Christmas cheer too sweet to stomach, here comes Team Mint with songs that will have you cheering for the underdog. There is a tearful lament to an insufficient alcohol supply (“Daddy’s Drinking Up Our Christmas”), a song making Santa a Republican fatcat (“Santa Claus Likes […]

The ChickensBring it On(Rubber Road)Toronto-based quintet The Chickens may be poised for some heavy-duty US exposure after making it to the finals of Little Steven’s Underground Garage battle of the band competition this month. Producer Ian Blurton likely gave them more than a few pointers on how to blow away an audience or two. For […]

Neko CaseFox Confessor Brings the Flood(Anti)When Neko Case opens her mouth at the beginning of “John Saw That Number” and during “Maybe Sparrow” the heavens part and angels can be seen weeping in solemn abdication. Perhaps Fox Confessor is still too dark for the average country fan, but it is no less a brilliant and […]

NirvanaSliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)Shameless cash grab. A CD with the sole intent of satisfying a corporate desire to make even more money off the corpse of a dead icon. For those who already have last year’s awesome box set, With the Lights Out, this is redundant. Almost all the artwork and tracks […]

Damon & NaomiThe Earth is Blue(Sonic Unyon)Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang (two-thirds of Galaxie 500) have always tended to lean toward the sad side of sublime. But on The Earth is Blue, their sixth album, the music steers toward fluffier, sweeter territory. On songs like “Malibran” or “Araçá Azul” there is stillness that recalls the […]

Diana KrallThe Girl in the Other Room (Verve)Some may question Diana Krall’s decision to include her own compositions on this album. But in the history of jazz, nearly every troupe leader wrote original tunes, so the real question is: Why so late? The six Krall tracks (written with Elvis Costello) bear strong pop ballad sensibilities, […]

Julie DoironWoke Myself Up(Endearing)Great art comes from the extremes of emotional experience. Julie Doiron has always been able to channel those passionate depths, having mastered, over the last 20 years, a style of first-person narratives derived from defining moments in her life. But nothing you have heard from her will prepare you for her latest. […]

Damien JuradoOn My Way to Absence(Secretly Canadian)Once again, Damien Jurado has released a superb record. It should come as no surprise to those who devour his every breath. On My Way to Absence shares many traits with its predecessor, Where Shall You Take Me?—the intimacy and sparse arrangements of folk-inspired nug-gets nestled comfortably alongside songs […]