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Album Reviews Archive

Robin Thicke ‘Blurred Lines’ Album Review

Robin Thicke emerged as one of this summer’s most recognizable artists with the hit track “Blurred Lines”, a collaboration with Pharell Williams and T.I. that drew attention for its scantily clad music video as well as its infectious “you’re a good girl” hook. It’s not the first time Thicke has drawn attention from the masses;

Buddy Guy ‘Rhythm & Blues’ Album Review

Buddy Guy may not move as vigorously on-stage as Mick Jagger, another music legend in his 70s, but his musical output continues to mesmerize audiences in similar form. One of the greatest guitarists of all time, Guy has been releasing cult blues records since the ‘60s, later integrating elements of rock ‘n’ roll that helped

Sara Bareilles ‘The Blessed Unrest’ Album Review

The highly accessible work of Sara Bareilles has huge commercial appeal, with crisply sonorous hooks and keyboard-driven melodies that highlight the 33-year-old’s passionate and youthful vocal delivery. On her new album The Blessed Unrest, Bareilles touches on both the accessible pop that made her 2007 single “Love Song” and 2010 album Kaleidoscope Heart chart-toppers, in

Marc Anthony ‘3.0’ Album Review

As a longtime star of the Latin pop scene, Marc Anthony has established a prolific career where his new releases continue to top the Billboard charts, 25 years after he debuted with freestyle record Rebel. For the past decade, Anthony has put out an album every three years, his most recent coming in 2010 with

Jason Isbell ‘Southeastern’ Album Review

Jason Isbell was a big part of The Drive-By Truckers’ songwriting success the past decade. His talents alongside the songwriting of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley provided some of the most memorable country and folk concoctions in recent memory. After leaving in 2007 to pursue a solo career, fans wondered which direction he would pursue.

Court Yard Hounds ‘Amelita’ Album Review

The Dixie Chicks have always been synonymous with country music success, even after the political outspokenness of frontwoman Natalie Maines turned off a chunk of their fanbase. The trio’s other two members, sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, have typically kept their public personas limited to the music spectrum, so it’s little surprise that their

Pet Shop Boys ‘Electric’ Album Review

The Pet Shop Boys will likely write effectively rousing electro-pop until they’re physically unable to. Since 1986, The Pet Shop Boys have released a new album at least once every three or four years, not one lingering dud among their twelve full-lengths. The late ’80s and early ’90s introduced Pet Shop Boys to the masses,

Jay-Z ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Album Review

Perhaps more than any other figure in the music industry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate Jay-Z the entrepreneur from Jay-Z the musician, who put out one of the finest hip-hop releases of all-time with Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. Since the latter was released in 2001, Jay-Z’s finest moments have often come via high-profile

Editors ‘The Weight of Your Love’ Album Review

British group Editors combine rich elements of post-punk and alternative to create a polished sound ripe for radio placement. With a Mercury Prize nomination for 2005 debut The Back Room and a slew of top 10 singles, Editors have built a nice following, having already been around for almost a decade now. They emerged right

Preservation Hall Jazz Band ‘That’s It’ Album Review

Preservation Hall Jazz Band continue to reign as a source of consistency in the world of jazz. Taking their name from the Preservation Hall venue in their native New Orleans’ French Quarter, the collective has consisted of a rotating cast of members since debuting in 1963. As one of the few venues during the time