The music of Pokey LaFarge harks back to an era long gone, when the world seemed like a simpler place. Before technology took over and communication improved, yet somehow diminished in standards, the world sounded a little like Mr LaFarge’s…
Reviewing a record when you know the curtains have since fallen on the band is always a little difficult. You inevitably wonder what might have been, while trying to find evidence (if any) that things were falling apart. Chris Cheveyo…
Torres’ second long-player comes a couple of years after a debut brimming with promise and potential. Mackenzie Scott established herself as one to watch with a display of strength and energy, and the question was whether or not she could…
The Bill Fay story is astonishing. That he is here again making music, and such precious music to boot, is a gift to anyone willing to listen. He was a victim of the cruel axe of the music machine back…
Live albums can go ether way. Sometimes they seem like nothing more than a sonic souvenir of the band’s last tour for their existing fan base. But at their best, they make you stop listening to the studio albums. After…
Given how Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore introduced themselves as Tennis with 2011’s Cape Dory, it was easy to wonder if it was a glorious fluke. The college sweethearts had married, bought a yacht and set sail down the Eastern…
In the nearly 20 years since their debut, Tucson group Calexico have made some outstanding albums, weaving together roots sounds, Americana and Tex-Mex. On their first album since 2012’s New Orleans-themed Algiers, they make what is (surprisingly, given their influences)…
Ivy Tripp is Katie Crutchfield’s third record under the name Waxahatchee, but just because she’s settled into the role doesn’t mean she’s ready to stop moving. Over the course of this record, Crutchfield never sits still, and offers a little…
Ron Sexsmith has been around for an age now (well, 24 years since his debut – sorry Ron, we’re not meaning to rub it in), constantly knocking out great albums and somehow completely avoiding the commercial radar. It seems criminal,…
Sufjan Stevens’ latest record arrives half a decade on from his last, The Age of Adz, an unprecedented break for a man who once promised he would keep himself busy for a lifetime by recording an album about every US…