MUSIC REVIEWS

As its title implies, there’s a lot of emotional depth to the song “Weight of the World,” one of the star tracks from Arun O’Connor’s new LP Songs from the Reading Room, but truth be told, the stateliness of its performance is on par with what listeners can expect throughout the …

Alex Wellkers’ new release famous now is the Swiss-born singer/songwriter’s third studio collection and the latest chapter in a familiar story. This young artist first felt music’s pull as a six year old child when he began playing accordion and soon moved on from there to classical guitar, harmonica, and keyboard.   …

Michael R. Shaw’s album How is This Helping? is the latest solo effort from the respected English songwriter and solidifies his status as one of the best alt-folk/singer-songwriters’ working today. It is his first solo collaboration with James Youngjohns, fresh from playing guitar on and co-producing Matt Hill’s latest outing Return of the …

Aditi Iyer’s “Deleted Your Number” is the Mumbai, India-born singer’s new single. It’s the latest chapter in a musical journey Iyer began at age three when she first started singing and has perfected her craft over the years with hard work and discipline. It has produced two EP releases preceding …

“You Just Hurt” doesn’t have a single lull over its four-minute and nine-second running time. It’s not a surprise, really, considering the impressive list of credits the Wreckless Strangers’ members can claim. This group of six session musicians and longtime friends worked in the past with musicians as diverse as …

Percussion isn’t always presented from behind a drum kit in the new record On the Day That You Come To from Del Vertigo, but often from the force of the melodic elements on their own. Take for example “In Dreams” or “Theres a Glimmer in the Thicket,” both of which move a …

Delivered to us in a lazy sway that seems to drag us a bit closer with each passing beat, “Under Above Orion Venus Loves” signals its control over anyone within earshot of its string play through a dominant sonic presence almost certain to give rock fans a chill this spring …

Gritty with fuzz and a dirty pop melody as fat as it is loud and proud, the sonic profile of “Sunhat” in many ways summarizes the tone of Jonah Leatherman’s eponymous debut album as good as any other track on the record does. Fleeting moodiness, sourced directly from the guitar …

“New Beginnings”, the first of Bonnie Milne’s two new singles, will put a smile on a listener’s face. It’s a near virtuosic demonstration of Milne’s piano playing skills without ever risking self-indulgence and, secondly, highlights her apparently limitless capacity for melody. “New Beginnings” likewise shows off her ability for creating …

Tyler Mast’s In the Company of a Friend blends the right amount of pop flavor into a concoction long on performed poetry for a winning mix. It’s the latest album from the Chicago born singer/songwriter and continues in the same vein as his previous work. It isn’t retreading familiar territory, however, but …