Zach Bryan packs stars onto album, lacks signature style
Rating: 2.5/5 stars Country singer Zach Bryan’s self-titled album was released on Aug. 25, and despite the inclusion of features from multifarious stars of differing genres, it fails to break new sonic ground. The 16-song album breaks the traditional flow…
Laufey unites past with present on jazzy, sophisticated “Bewitched”
Rating: 4.5/5 stars Jazz has an awkward position in pop music. Critics used to encounter it in underground clubs and bars, then jazz became synonymous with commercial pop to the ire of snobs as “failed art music” or even capitalist…
‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ enchants one loyal, nostalgic Swiftie
Rating: 4.5/5 stars I prefer to call myself a “Taylor Swift enjoyer” above a “Swiftie.” I like most of her music, but I will never be the fan who defends her every move. She has written bad songs and released…
Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion pop, lock, flip hip-hop on new bop
Rating: 5/5 stars Historically, the music genre of rap has been dominated by men, with early influential figures being Dr. Dre (“The Chronic”), Tupac Shakur (“All Eyez On Me”, The Notorious B.I.G. (“Ready to Die”) and many more. However, the…
Olivia Rodrigo returns gutsier than ever on long-awaited sophomore album
Rating: 3.5/5 stars Olivia Rodrigo’s (“SOUR”) sophomore album “GUTS” was released Sept. 8. “GUTS” has 12 songs that expand on the issues of girlhood, heartbreak and societal pressures. Rodrigo released two singles off of the album: “vampire” on June 30,…
Mac DeMarco’s 199-track snoozer ‘One Wayne G’ egotistic at its core
Rating: 1/5 stars Readers expect a music reviewer to listen to the entirety of an album. It is only 30-90 minutes of the reviewers’ time, they say. But sometimes it is the artist’s fault. Musicians, like experimentalist AG Cook (“Apple”)…
Post Malone releases cathartic new single on healing
Rating: 4.5/5 stars On his single, Post Malone (“Twelve Carat Toothache”) doubled down on developing his sound, while struggling to free himself from a toxic relationship. “Chemical,” although released as a single on April 21, was included as a part…
Jethro Tull returns with mythological flute tunes, poetic Icelandic lyrics
Rating: 3.5/5 stars Sit down and prepare for a musical deep dive into Norse mythology with Jethro Tull (“Zealot Gene”). The band released their new album “RökFlöte,” roughly meaning “rock flute” on April 21. Since their previous drop was only…
Ellie Goulding returns with upbeat pop on ‘Higher Than Heaven’
Rating: 5/5 stars Ellie Goulding (“Brightest Blue”) released “Higher Than Heaven” on April 7 through Polydor Records. The album was originally announced in October 2022. It is her first album in three years, since “Brightest Blue” (2020), Goulding has been…
Frost Children reinvent indie rave in post-hyperpop world on new album ‘SPEED RUN’
Rating: 3/5 stars What actually is hyperpop? The dynamic genre has been the subject of debate amongst both middle-aged music critics and teenagers in TikTok comments. Some say it is the future of pop; some say it died with SOPHIE…
