MUSIC REVIEWS

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. …

Face-melting harmonies aren’t as common in rock music as they used to be, but this isn’t enough to deter Unlettered from making them the bedrock of their new record New Egypt, out now wherever quality indie noise rock is sold and streamed. New Egypt, as its title would imply, isn’t your typical …

Vineet Singh Hukmani’s ambitions separate him from the pack. The Indian singer/songwriter isn’t content with the tried and true approach to releasing new music but, instead, casts his nets far afield of the ordinary. It didn’t begin that way, however. Hukmani established his reputation during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath …

America has a truly great tradition when it comes to making credible rock n’ roll that entire generations of fans have been able to relate to and take some influence from, and Benevolent & Divine is looking to continue that tradition this spring with a new single in “Hyacinth” that …