Album Reviews

Shelly Peiken | 2.0 etc… | (self-released)3 1/2 out of 5 stars You may not recognize Shelly Peiken’s name. But if you listen to pop music it’s almost impossible not to have heard one of the...

Fleetwood Mac | Then Play On (Celebration Edition) | (BMG)5 out of 5 stars “I've got to find a place to sing my words/Is there nobody listening to my song?,” laments Peter Green on the deceptively...

Five Stars Jimmy Carter, A Rock and Roll President presents a vivid and insightful portrait of America’s 39th president, and though the focus was intended to be on Carter’s love of music of all varieties and...

Joan Osborne | Trouble and Strife | (Womanly Hips)Four out of Five stars Is Joan Osborne the new queen of soul? Some may find that an odd proposition, given the fact she’s a white...

Yusuf/Cat Stevens | Tea for the Tillerman -Reimagined | (UMe)3 out of 5 stars How do you improve on a classic album, one of the defining moments of an artist’s career and a pinnacle of the...

The Flaming Lips | American Head | (Warner Bros.)Four out of five stars After attempting to absorb the news of Tom Petty’s death, Wayne Coyne, founder and chief provocateur of The Flaming Lips, researched Petty’s...

Eric Paslay | Nice Guy | (Paso Fino)4 stars Most artists tout their newest album as their best; in Eric Paslay’s case, Nice Guy truly is.  The initial takeaways from the...

Suzanne Vega | An Evening Of New York Songs and Stories | (Amanuensis/Cooking Vinyl)Four out of Five Stars Like many artists of a similar stature, folk chanteuse Suzanne Vega made her mark early on...

Carolina Story | Dandelion | (Black River Americana)Four out of Five Stars Following their stunning debut Lay Your Head Down, husband-wife duo Carolina Story (A.K.A. Ben and Emily Roberts) reemerge with their sophomore set...

The Band of Heathens | Stranger | (BOH Records) Four out of Five Stars A supergroup of sorts, Band of Heathens came together after singer/songwriters Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist and former compatriot Colin Brooks convened at...