Today’s Featured Review
Inner Secrets
Accurate or not, my impression is that a lot of people believe Santana—born as the Santana Blues Band and made famous by its imaginative melding of rock, Latin, jazz, and soul elements—first made a strong push to get in the charts with 1999’s megahit album Supernatural. But the truth is, bandleader Carlos Santana has always been a restless musical traveler, alternating jammy excursions and esoteric experiments with more commercially inclined collections of songs.Carlos broke up the founding Santana lineup after…
We Can’t Be Stopped (2026 vinyl reissue)
Originally released in 1991, this third album from Geto Boys (formerly called Ghetto Boys) reached platinum status and is considered one of the best rap albums of all time by some very important people. This reissue comes remastered and on colored double vinyl, a great vehicle for showing how well their Houston-influenced hip-hop ways have aged. “Rebel Rap City” opens with dense drums and a quick spoken word that sets the pace for the album. “We Can’t Be Stopped” then brings finger…
Doll Domination (2026 vinyl reissue)
Both of The Pussycat Dolls albums were reissued this year on vinyl for the first time. This sophomore and final album from 2008 saw longtime member Carmit Bachar no longer in the band, but it didn’t seem to affect the impact of the record.“When I Grow Up” starts with the layered voices and firm beat making for a sleek version of pop, and “Bottle Up” follows with a more soulful approach that welcomes Snoop Dog’s unmistakable voice to the dance…
Hello, I’m Dolly
With the recent passing of music legend Dolly Parton, it’s sometimes difficult to comprehend that Hello, I’m Dolly, her 1967 solo debut, is almost 60 years old. It’s also difficult to wrap one’s mind around the fact that she was only 21 when this was initially released, with some of the songs recorded when she was as young as her late teens.It’s also a challenge to not listen to this without having the fact that Parton recently died at the…
No Fun Aloud
The solo career that Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey navigated between the band’s 1980 breakup and 1994 reunion doesn’t get a lot of attention, possibly because the man himself never seemed to give it much of his own. Aside from a handful of memorable movie and TV soundtrack placements, his efforts during this period seemed mostly half-hearted, an already-successful artist passing the time until something more interesting comes along.That said, Frey’s solo debut No Fun Aloud—its title a snarky commentary on…
Pathways
Vancouver psych rock outfit Meltt’s third release Pathways is lush: swooshing synths, hazy guitars, breezy vocals, you name it.On the leading track “One Life,” the band takes its core sound and does something unique and exciting with it. Lead vocalist Chris Smith’s words could have been sung in just about any language, and they would still be as spellbinding. Jamie Turner’s drums have a special rhythmic force, where his rhythm is as captivating as the intensity of his drumming.Similarly, on…
Brother Where You Bound (2026 Half Speed Mastered Vinyl Reissue)
This eighth studio album from British legends Supertramp arrived in 1985 and was their first without the original member Roger Hodgson. His departure didn’t stop fans from enjoying these six songs, which are half-speed remastered at Abbey Road Studios and on a 180 gram heavyweight slab of black vinyl for this reissue.“Cannonball,” which hit the Top 30, starts with Rick Davies’ bright keys and unmistakable voice, as Bob Siebenberg’s frisky drums and a trombone cameo from Doug Wintz complement the…
Light Beam
The Greek pianist and composer Markos Chaidemenos is joined by plenty of strings, a rhythm section and a vocalist for these seven detailed tracks that blend contemporary jazz and chamber music with much attention to detail, for his most ambitious recording to date.“Si-iS” starts with Chaidemenos’ pretty keys alongside the stirring violin thanks to Babis Karasavvidis for plenty of melodic structure, and “Light Beam” follows with a similar amount of sophistication, where Irini Arabatzi’s flowing vocals help illuminate Panagiotis Kostopoulous’…
Kiss Of Death (20th Anniversary Edition)
Back about ten years ago, I finally got around to reviewing Kiss Of Death, Motorhead’s 2006 release… and let’s just say I didn’t treat it with kid gloves. I had said that, while there was some great material on the disc, there was a certain magical spark that was missing. What we didn’t know in 2006 (and, for the moment, forgetting I reviewed it a decade later) was that frontman Lemmy Kilmister was more than likely suffering from some of…
Transformer
While I’m still in the beginning stages of my journey into Lou Reed’s discography, I’m growing more and more convinced that he saw himself as the poet laureate of the seedier side of life. He wasn’t afraid to write and sing about the prostitutes, drug addicts and practitioners of alternate lifestyles… and, while it sometimes isn’t the most comfortable stuff to listen to, he was able to convince you their stories were just as important to hear. Transformer, Reed’s second…