Articles tagged: Critical Voices

Music

Dua Lipa Makes Pristine, yet Superficial, Bops on Future Nostalgia

When I first listened to Dua Lipa’s self-titled debut album, its opening lyrics made me swoon. Lipa starts the song “Genesis” with, “In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth... Read more

By April 9, 2020

Music

Critical Voices: Colorado, Neil Young and Crazy Horse

“I’ve always been an eccentric, a rocker at heart. I can’t play the guitar, but I can play the griddle.” – Guy Fieri If you have the volume up loud... Read more

By November 15, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: Ode to Joy, Wilco

With Wilco’s new album Ode to Joy, the alt-rock band explores the relationship between love and pain with hazy vocals, wandering lyrics, and eclectic instrumentals. Although never explicitly political, Ode... Read more

By October 8, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: III, The Lumineers

Meditative at times and raw at others, the Lumineers’ minimalistically-titled third studio album III is perhaps the band’s most cohesive narrative in record form. Told in three chapters, III painstakingly... Read more

By October 4, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Nothing, Korn

To be blunt, Korn’s The Nothing is their emotionally darkest record yet. The nu-metal outfit’s thirteenth, thirteen-song record dropped (in the most authentically Korn style) on September the thirteenth. The... Read more

By September 21, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: All My Heroes Are Cornballs, JPEGMAFIA

In the leadup to the release of JPEGMAFIA’s third studio album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, the Baltimore-based rapper released a series of mock promotional interviews in which he plays... Read more

By September 20, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone

The nine-month roll out for Post Malone’s third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, felt like a rollercoaster. The quality of the singles varied wildly, from the compelling “Goodbyes,” to the superficially... Read more

By September 18, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: EARTHGANG, Mirrorland

As Revenge of the Dreamers III topped the Billboard charts over this past summer, Dreamville producers and rappers, EARTHGANG, took their talent back to the studio. On September 6th, EARTHGANG... Read more

By September 17, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Lana Del Rey

Introspective and immersed in nostalgia, Lana Del Rey’s sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) does not reflect a specific era—it captures a feeling. Infused with images and memories of... Read more

By September 13, 2019

Leisure

Critical Voices: Usher, A

This summer, I went to an E-40 and Bone Thugz-n-Harmony concert. Between sets, one of the MC’s was working the crowd, joking around and playing radio hits to get people... Read more

By October 22, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: High On Fire, Electric Messiah

Matt Pike, the guitarist and vocalist for High On Fire, is restless. This power-metal trio was borne out of his need to jam in his garage while his first band,... Read more

By October 9, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: Mitski, Be the Cowboy

You will get chills almost immediately after you press play on Mitski’s new album, Be the Cowboy. Her haunting, harrowing voice sings, “You’re my number one / You’re the one... Read more

By August 22, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy

Cardi B opens her premier album with an emotional three minutes of solo bars backed by a simple piano line and soft air horns. After the fun and free-flowing “Finesse”... Read more

By May 1, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: George Ezra, Staying at Tamara’s

It’s not widely remembered that George Ezra was 2014’s third best-selling artist, only behind Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith. At 19, he burst onto the scene with his hit release... Read more

By April 2, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: King Krule, The Ooz

British artist Archy Ivan Marshall debuted the stage name King Krule with his album Six Feet Beneath the Moon (2013). Despite the generally positive reception of the album, it was... Read more

By October 24, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Neighbourhood, Hard

“Sweater Weather” is definitely in the air, not only because it is officially fall, but because The Neighbourhood recently released their new EP, Hard, on September 21. The California-based band... Read more

By September 29, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: Prophets of Rage, Prophets of Rage

Acoustic artists and soft strumming are the usual ingredients of protest music, as evidenced by artists like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger who sought peace, free speech, and... Read more

By September 25, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Script, Freedom Child

Known for popular songs “Breakeven” and “Hall of Fame,” The Script released their fifth album, Freedom Child, on Sept 1. The band debuted at number one on the UK charts, marking... Read more

By September 18, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: Alvvays, Antisocialites

After spending most of her time on tour for the last few years, Molly Rankin, frontwoman of indie band Alvvays, decided to escape to Toronto Island. There, she found inspiration... Read more

By September 15, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: Neil Young, Hitchhiker

Throughout his long and storied career, Neil Young has distinguished himself as one the most influential and unique voices in folk rock. Young cut to the fore of the genre... Read more

By September 15, 2017