Album Reviews

• 

  Pop Smoke's Fans Won't Lose 'Faith' Despite Uneven New Posthumous Album

  PUBLISHED Jul 20, 2021

  The posthumous album has sadly been a staple in hip-hop for years, occasionally resulting in legacy-cementing projects like J Dilla's immac...

• 

  Darkside's 'Spiral' Mourns the End of the World — and Celebrates What We Still Have Left

  PUBLISHED Jul 19, 2021

  A funny thing happened on the way to Darkside's return from hiatus. After all, Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington announced that the band was...

• 

  John Mayer Tries Something New, Kinda, on 'Sob Rock'

  PUBLISHED Jul 19, 2021

  Throughout his 20-plus years in the music industry, John Mayer has managed to explore a diverse array of sounds to varying degrees of succe...

• 

  Clairo Leaves Her Bedroom for the Great Beyond on 'Sling'

  PUBLISHED Jul 16, 2021

  If those sharing Clairo's understated viral hit "Pretty Girl" in 2017 could time travel to our heat-warped present, it's entirely possible...

• 

  Willow Smith Makes Pop-Punk Her Own on 'lately i feel EVERYTHING'

  PUBLISHED Jul 15, 2021

  Willow Smith didn't think she was capable of singing rock music. Her pivot from dreamy pop and R&B to angsty punk rock was a surprise to he...

• 

  New Chance Weaves Existential Meditations into Dancefloor Hits on 'Real Time'

  PUBLISHED Jul 14, 2021

  Victoria Cheong continues to mature as a producer, lyricist and vocalist. As New Chance, she continues to draw inspiration from '80s and '9...

• 

  Kevin Drew Wrings Boundless Possibilities Out of a Beatmaking App on 'Influences'

  PUBLISHED Jul 13, 2021

  It's surprising to learn that Broken Social Scene centrepiece Kevin Drew made his new solo album, Influences, with a beat-making phone app....

• 

  Vince Staples' Newfound Wisdom Hits Hard on Minimalist Self-Titled Album

  PUBLISHED Jul 13, 2021

  Since he first stepped onto the scene, Vince Staples' music has been characterized by its abrasive and uncompromising aspects. Whether the...