Last 10 Reviews
Rising Force
In 1984, to the best of my knowledge, there was no such thing as “classical metal.” We were still beginning to wrap our heads around the concepts of thrash and speed metal in those early days of the genre’s popularity. There were obviously virtuosos on the guitar—Eddie Van Halen quickly comes to mind.And then, there was Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Schooled in the world of classical music but drawn by the allure of such rock musicians as Jimi Hendrix, it seemed…
King Of The Dogwoods
The longest running Celtic band in America, Minneapolis’ Boiled In Lead, returns with a 12th album, and it’s got plenty of global flavor circling their punk rock ways.The cautious title track starts the record with Todd Menton’s expressive voice alongside Morris Engel’s crisp drumming for the detailed storytelling and Haley Olson’s animated violin. “Bucimis” then follows and will get you on the dance floor immediately thanks to the quick melodies and rhythmic mood.Moving along, “Slip Jigs” allows for Drew Miller’s…
Let It Hiss
Let It Hiss is an all-round vibrant record that leaves you feeling with good vibes at the end of it. That’s in part because of the overall feelgood nature of this Montreal-based indie-folk outfit’s obvious niceness. But it is also a result of the colorful eclecticism that The Barr Brothers bring into this album, on their own, and through various collaborations with other Quebec-based artists.There is an easygoing Seventies singer-songwriter feel throughout this band’s fourth release, which is so calming.…
Even In The Quietest Moments… (2025 Half Speed Mastered Vinyl Reissue)
This fifth album from the almighty Supertramp was released in 1977 and charted at #16 in the Billboard Album Charts. This reissue of the record slaps it on a 180-gram heavyweight piece of vinyl with half speed mastering at Abbey Road Studios, which illuminates the classic tracks with an even better sound quality. The instantly recognizable “Give A Little Bit” starts with the warm acoustic guitar, Roger Hodgson’s harmonic voice and John Helliwell’s infectious sax that will get you singing along…
The All-Night Costume Company
The Tacoma, Washington singer-songwriter Kye Alfred Hillig is back with a ninth album, which is all originals, and brings some friends along for the carefully fleshed out tracks.The punchy and melodic “The Horrible Truth” starts with Hillig’s breezy guitar and gritty yet tuneful voice guiding the folk-rock fun. “Ezekiel Bobbing For Apples” follows with Jasen Samford’s agile drumming and Annie J’s soulful backing voices in a more Americana-fueled climate, and “Divorce Of Course Of Course” places Samford on mandolin for…
Maybe Things Will Be Alright
Jim Allen sure knows how to get an indie music reviewer’s attention.Last time around, I commented on Allen’s iconoclastic approach to composing a one-sheet—no publicist, no filter, no pretense, just a first-person narrative about his music, which turned out to be just as unaffected and authentic as his approach to describing it.It also ensured that I’d pay attention when another one showed up. Allen describes the recipe for his new album Maybe Things Will Be Alright as: “two shakes of…
Mud Blood Bone
The Canadian artist Cat Clyde surrounds this fourth album with the notion of love being absent in her life, and not exactly being sure how to even find it. To tackle the theme, she recruited the producer Drew Vandenberg, who helps out with instrumentation, too, for 11 tunes that can get vulnerable but also roar.The appropriate question, “Where Is My Love,” starts with Clyde’s distinct voice and quite animated backdrop via the buzzing guitar and a scrappy rhythm section. “Man’s…
You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love
Olivia Rodrigo has proven once again that she has the most mighty pen game in all of pop. She is simply a master songwriter, with the most amazing ability to convey her raw emotions into a microphone.This album is ostensibly a concept record, split into two parts. The first 6 songs are relatively new territory for Rodrigo, writing unabashedly about falling in love, and all the complicated excitement that the emotion brings. It’s a strong opening, full of catchy hooks,…
Night Whispers
There’s a lot of promise in Plasma Driver’s debut, once they can harness their clear influences into a sound uniquely theirs. Night Whispers is a brief 27-minute affair, with seven proper songs and three instrumental interludes, and comes on the heels of two singles and a live EP. The Miami quartet is influenced by turn-of-the-century bands like Interpol, the Strokes and Queens Of The Stone Age; I also hear a hint of the Doors and Bowie in the vocal delivery.…
Fibronostalgia
Fibronostalgia might just be the most Kowtow album title in the history of Popof.Monsieur Popof, when not otherwise engaged as a connoisseur of the portmanteau pun, makes intense, witty, occasionally enigmatic music credited to his alter ego Kevin Kerr. The singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist crafts tunes that bridge the gap between avant-garde rock like the Velvet Underground and equally clever but less affected / more mainstream fare like The Kinks.Across a dozen albums, Popof has addressed a range of social trends, ills, and…