MUSIC REVIEWS

The holiday season brings its own soundtrack each year, with classic carols, familiar jingles, and timeless tunes that fill our homes and shopping malls. But every now and then, an artist manages to deliver a fresh take on holiday music that stands out in a sea of tradition. This year, …

HebbaJebba’s second album, Number 2, feels like a love letter to the indie DIY music scene, where heart, humor, and raw talent often trump polished perfection. Since their self-titled debut in 2021, the band has evolved from a group of friends making music for the joy of it into a …

Adam Christian Bass’ debut album Between Worlds opens new avenues of self-expression for this freewheeling creative spirit. Tenures as a teacher, filmmaker, and coach manifested an underlying desire to tell or facilitate stories, and turning to actual songwriting is a natural evolution. Bass labored mightily to realize the potential evidenced during Between …

UniversalDice’s Misfit Memoirs isn’t just another rock album—it’s a daring exploration of humanity’s messiest emotions, wrapped in a sound that’s equal parts classic rock nostalgia and modern melodic finesse. Helmed by singer-songwriter Gerry Dantone, the album is as much a reflection of personal struggles as it is a critique of …

The Arizona desert is an unlikely region for spawning convincing Celtic punk bands. Swainn corrects such expectations. Under a Willow Tree is a remastered version of the band’s first album with a definite twist. This recording incorporates contributions from new bass player Rob MacIntosh via rewritten and re-recorded bass lines. Swainn couldn’t …

The dozen songs included on B.B. Cole’s second album Of Love and Loss are full of what the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats referred to in his famed poem “Byzantium” as the “fury and mire of human veins”. The collection’s compositions are vividly alive. They reflect an artist fiercely engaged with …

Bradley Gaskin returns with his latest single, “Accidentally Drunk,” a classic country ballad steeped in themes of heartbreak and self-reflection. Gaskin, who first captured the country audience with his 2010 hit “Mr. Bartender,” channels the raw emotion of artists like George Jones and Keith Whitley. After a detour from the …

Outlaw From The South by Mike Schikora marks his return to music after a twelve-year break, bringing raw authenticity to the country genre. Schikora’s album is rooted in the grit of rural life, with storytelling that draws on his own experiences outside mainstream Nashville. His sound has the weight of …

You’d be forgiven for reading Tennessee Backwater’s biographical materials and assuming they are dyed in the wool modern retro country juked with added hop. The elasticity of “In God We Trust” is a pleasant surprise in the face of such assumptions. Backwater utilizes a three-headed vocalist approach, unusual but potent, …

Debuting with such a thoroughly realized effort like Into the West sets a daunting bar to clear for the future. Arizona-born seventeen-year-old Birdie Nichols’ first collection is a tightly focused nine song collection showing satisfying diversity rather than relying on formula. A surprising amount of relatively ingenious wordplay powers many of the …