MUSIC REVIEWS

While it’s true that anyone can take a slew of exotic tones and sew them together for a proper single, it takes something a lot more intricate to turn them into a hit, which is what Ananda Xenia Shakti and Love Power the Band do so epically in their new …

A conceptual foundation can be found at the heart of every Morten Nygaard track, and it’s in this way that his new single picks up where his previous releases left off. Although there’s a lot to be said about the surface-level aesthetics this song sports so flawlessly, there’s more to …

“Real” asks listeners to reframe their outlook on life outside of social media. This single is off of Swiss artist Ajay Mathur’s new album Talking Loud. The Grammy nominated artist blends the best of classic music with contemporary styles resulting in music that is all its own. Mathur is known …

Vancouver, Canada’s ACT Americana Trio began their creative journey five years ago. Singer/songwriter and guitarist Andre Chrys, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Chris Lok, and singer/songwriter/musician Taryn Laronge are a sort of low-key roots music “supergroup” with decades of collective artistry between them. Their EP True North features four tracks steeped in the music …

The creative union of a singer/songwriter with a flute playing retired high school music teacher doesn’t bode bright for an exceptionally well-rounded release. Blonde & Grey confounds such superficial impressions from the outset. Neil Friend and Kathy Olsen begin their debut on a confident note with its title song “Face …

Splicing a drill-style vocal attack with a coarse bassline, 148’s “Odds” immediately feels like one of the more assaultive hip-hop tracks you’re going to find on record store shelves this spring. That said, it’s one of nine stellar listens on 148’s debut album Sampati, which is currently getting a lot …

“Time to Die” isn’t a particularly cheerful song, but anyone who loves passionate music will flock to Iva Toric’s latest single. It’s the second release from her looming new album Dead Reckoning and confronts her anxieties about eventual death head-on. She’s crafted an extraordinarily dynamic musical arrangement, as well, and …

The first panic attack of my life smacked me in the mouth eighteen hours after my mother died. I napped on my couch all day after getting home. Sleep eventually became impossible when my back hurt enough and I arose from my cushioned tomb and headed to the bathroom. INSTAGRAM: …

Los Angeles-born and Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Brian Shapiro and his band aren’t interested in entertainment alone. Their latest album It’s Amazing! follows their 2021 debut All That We See in several ways and its desire to leave a lasting impact on listeners rates high among them. Multiple sources fuel that hunger for such a transformative …

Not Ashamed’s single “In Spirit and Truth” is more than a contemporary Christian song. The Irish four-piece embraces their faith without embarrassment, but they’ve likewise succeeded in writing a song that embodies some of the finest human virtues. We long for transcendence, to live beyond the limits our humanity imposes …