MUSIC REVIEWS

In a short, simple pop song like “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring,” it doesn’t take more than just a couple of seconds into the track for listeners to immediately get a feel for what the music is all about – and in this case, the material is everything its …

The blending of indie singer/songwriter feel, and country music influences heard on Will Rainier’s Wobble in the Moon represents a newfound maturity in his recording output. Rainier has long loomed as a formidable talent in the indie music world with a score of releases, solo and otherwise, to his credit. The ten …

Rob Alexander’s latest musical endeavor, Young Man’s Eyes, is a sonic masterpiece that seamlessly blends rock sensibilities with heartfelt storytelling. With thirteen tracks clocking in at just around fifty minutes, this album takes listeners on an exhilarating journey filled with introspection, raw emotion, and infectious hooks that will have you …

Chris St. John’s particular brand of Americana has corralled considerable acclaim, including a Grammy nomination for his earlier album Fly Away. His new collection The Sinner and the Saint picks up where his past release leaves off and delivers eleven tracks illustrating his ample growth. His musicianship, vocals, and writing point the way …

It’s always invigorating discovering a singer/songwriter that you haven’t heard of before. There’s a thrill for music devotees when you hear them for the first time. You take in their musical idiosyncrasies with surprise, listen for distinctive turns of phrases, and draw common reference points with other artists, if such …

There’s more than a little swagger in the opening bars that precede the first few verses Dale Ann Bradley will sing in her new album Kentucky for Me; her confidence bleeds into the harmonies of “The Sun is Going to Shine” as though she had written the song for the very …

The slight stumble of druggy melodicism greets us in The Grunions’ “Pink Manta” as if to suggest that the road ahead of us in the new album Shadow Breaker is quite treacherous when it’s in fact as smooth sailing as it gets in indie rock these days. Acerbically eclectic from …

If nothing else about Rob Alexander’s “Get Over Yourself” convinces you, the chorus will. The latest single from the South Florida singer/songwriter blazes from the beginning, refusing to give you any quarter, and when the music and singer alike shift into a higher gear during the refrain, it threatens to …

Often as vulnerable in tone as any of the actual lyrics in the songs they’re featured in are, the strings we find in the new record from Ranzel X Kendrick, Alias Wayne’s Fubar, are a crucial element of communication that is inarguably at the foundation of every stitch of material presented …

Those who dismiss instrumental music driven by piano and flute as easy-listening tripe will do well to give Outside the Maze, the new release from Gilliam/Martynec/McBirnie, a chance. The trio expands the possibilities of instrumental music within this context in ways that will surprise and delight even the most cynical listener. …