Reviews

James MorrisonUndiscovered(Polydor)The young Brit comes by his rasp honestly. A childhood bout of whooping cough left him with special powers to convey longing. A first encounter might leave you saying, “Wow, Terence Trent D’arby must have been listening to a lot of ’70s Stevie Wonder, and learning.” Morrison gives urgency to what are mostly love […]

Royal WoodA Good Enough Day(Dead Daisy)This Toronto-based former child piano prodigy hasn’t squandered his natural talent or sweet tenor voice—A Good Enough Day is a pop delight, an old-fashioned train-car stocked with alternating riffs on love and heartache. Squeaky clean, but not overproduced, fans of Ron Sexsmith and Hawksley Workman—who plays drums on one track—will […]

Lucinda WilliamsWest(Lost Highway)West is unlike any record that Lucinda Williams has ever released. It has a jazzy vibe with a touch of Memphis soul. Taking four years between studio albums, West is all the better for it. Although it’s dark, primarily dealing with the desolation of lost love and heartbreak, it is an inviting record […]

MikaLife in Cartoon Motion(Island)Mercury on the single “Grace Kelly” has made strong first impressions for this flamboyant native of Lebanon, now based in Europe. An elastic falsetto and variety of characters could register initially as Teletubbies for adults. Further attention reveals sophistication. The cellos of “Any Other Day” inject substance into a twee ballad, with […]

Kristin HershLearn to Sing Like a Star(4AD)Kristin Hersh is the anti-star in today’s music world. Her reputation was built with bands Throwing Muses, 50FootWave and with her solo material. Learn To Sing is in contrast to the quiet tones on her previous release, The Grotto. There’s a full band sound with nice cello arrangements (such […]

Peter ElkasWall of Fire(Maple)This is your garden-variety blue-eyed soul-rock that doesn’t manage to set itself apart from predecessors such as Ron Sexsmith, who has a uniquely tender voice and deep sense for the world to match. On Wall of Fire Elkas steps forward with no standout quality. From the opener “Fall Apart Again” through the […]

RihannaGood Girl Gone Bad(Def Jam)The young Barbadian Rihanna injects herself gamely into every elaborate setup. Samples of Lionel Richie and New Order propel the flirty moves of “Push Up on Me” and hungry dominance of “Shut Up and Drive.” Eight producers, including Jay-Z and Timbaland, shape the eight tracks. It may leave you pondering whether […]

Josh RitterThe Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter(Sony/BMG)Josh Ritter’s The Animal Years only came out a year ago. That he’s followed up with something just as rich and deep that sounds nothing like it is a terrific feat. Where Animal rolled out its war laments via lush, pretty melodies, The Historical Conquests is a raucous but […]

RooneyCalling the World(Geffen)Rooney’s 2003 eponymous debut made a splash in the pop-rock pool thanks in part to the great guilty pleasure that was The OC. The band’s sophomore release may be an uphill battle, as they took four years to prep the disc and unleash it upon the world. While not a horrible atrocity, it […]

Devendra BanhartSmokey Rolls Down Thunder CanyonXLThe effect of Devendra Banhart’s full-time band on the nu-folk singer-songwriter’s music is like steroids on Barry Bonds’ swing. On Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Banhart tackles a Zappa list of genre eccentricities and orchestration. One highlight is the delightful doo-wop tune “Shaboom Shalom.” But the quintessential track is “Seahorse”: […]

Puddle of MuddFamousGeffenAfter witnessing the resurgence enjoyed by Buckcherry and their massive single “Crazy Bitch,” Puddle of Mudd went straight into the studio with hopes of returning to the spotlight they enjoyed while Blurry was riding high on rock radio. At first listen it would be easy to write the band off, but the big […]

Robert Plant and Alison KraussRaising SandRounderThere have been some novelty pop pairings recently, most of them heinous—Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and Nelly. In the pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, we have something in the vein of the Emmylou Harris and Bright Eyes collaboration–logic wouldn’t have matched them up, but hearing […]