Latest Reviews

If you’re like me, “In Your Love” might be your first introduction to Tyler Childers. But it’s a welcome one. “In Your Love” is the first single from his upcoming album, Rustin’ In The Rain. It was released just a few days ago with a music video starring Colton Haynes and James Scully. While the song itself is fairly vague and gender neutral, the music video depicts a romance between two male coal miners in the 1950’s. Their occupation may not come as a surprise to those who are familiar with Tyler Childers and his music. Tyler was born in Kentucky and his father was a coal miner. Culture and industry in the Appalachian region, as well as the prevalent issues in those communities, are discussed and explored often in his music. So much so, that all the proceeds from his 2020 album, Long Violent History went directly to Childers' Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund which supports underserved communities in the region. In the music video, we are offered a glimpse into some of the lethal consequences of coal mining including “black lung disease,” a disease that coal miners often develop overtime due to exposure and inhaling of coal dust. Furthermore, Tyler intentionally chose to depict a gay romance because he was inspired to do so by his gay cousin who also grew up in Kentucky, worked as a coal miner, and has had a very close relationship with Tyler. When describing the inspiration behind the music video, Childers (in reference to his cousin) said “He taught me so much about singing; he was my first tough critic. And just thinking about him not having a music video on CMT that spoke to him.” 

The name Dominic Fike is likely familiar to a lot of people because of his recent contributions to both the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack as well as the Barbie soundtrack. Due to this, though I find it surprising, I believe some people may have missed his most recent release. Dominic Fike is an artist that I don’t often listen to. I have several friends who are always sending me his music when it comes out, and I always listen. Furthermore, I always end up being impressed with his projects, What Could Possibly Go Wrong in particular. He’s ambitious, creative, a skilled song-writer, and incredibly entertaining. For whatever reason however, I have yet to consistently return to his music. A few weeks ago he released Sunburn and I feel foolish for ever having been so neutral regarding his work. With only a 39 minute runtime, Sunburn is an extremely accessible listen. Such a unique and pleasant experience all begins with its opening track, “How Much Is Weed?”

Last week, the world was awarded the long awaited arrival of Travis Scott’s fourth studio album, UTOPIA. This new album from Travis is triumphant, ambitious, wall to wall with features, and a blinding subversion of expectations. Due to such ambitions, the album has had quite a clash of varying reception. Some fans claim it to be his best work yet, while others insist that it’s far from the quality of his previous works, ASTROWORLD being the common standard of comparison. I find UTOPIA to be a breath of fresh air in the world of A-List Hip-Hop. Given its inventive nature and its mixed reception, the album’s title is more than fitting. Such is perfectly captured in the outro of “SIRENS,” performed by Drake and an (as of yet) unknown woman:

“SNAKE EYES” is the first single released by Aries since his triumphant sophomore album, BELIEVE IN ME, WHO BELIEVES IN YOU, released back in 2021. Aries has amassed a sort of cult following in the last few years, built off of his unique take on genre fusion between Hip-Hop, contemporary Pop, and a little secret sauce somewhere in the middle. “SNAKE EYES” is no different. With thunderous guitars, incredibly catchy yet soothing melodies, and masterfully arranged production and mixing, this song offers its listeners just over 2 minutes of song length, but a lifetime of replay. “SNAKE EYES” is frankly, quite addicting. Aries pulls no punches with well written verses and an impeccable hook. It was produced by Aries and his two talented friends, Wyatt Otis and Pharaoh Vice. It was written and engineered by Aries as well. “SNAKE EYES” was released independently through DistroKid, a great tool that many up and coming artists utilize to distribute their work. 

The last single from the new album of UK's masked group, Sleep Token, is a surprise to say the least, and an excellent offering for those willing to make room for something different.

Nines is the professional name of Courtney Leon Freckleton, a 33 year old rapper from Harlesden, London. His first appearance came in 2007 as a young 17 year old prodigy, but he has taken time to build an image and sound over the intervening years that has now put him more into the mainstream of the UK rap scene. Calendar comes from his fourth studio album, Crop Circle 2. 

Keaton Henson is possibly one of the luckier musicians to break into the industry. With an undeniable talent for the creative, his initial foray into music was more for personal pleasure than anything else. However, 13 years since his initial release, he has gathered a strong reputation as an artist who provides depth to his work, and his multi-talented catalogue of work has launched his name to a wider worldwide audience.

The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ duo. Formed in 2012, they have gathered a huge following in the last 11 years and are now billed as one of the most successful DJ artists in the world. The two members, Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart, have developed a unique sound and partnership that will continue to influence music lovers for years to come.

The Foo Fighters need little introduction, having been one of the world's biggest bands for over 20 years. Led by Nirvana's Dave Grohl, they faced tragedy this year with the sudden death of Taylor Hawkins. Tribute concerts to him have only increased the band's appeal, and the news that they would continue as a group despite Hawkins' absence on drums was greeted with delight.

Patrick Wolf, the 39-year-old English singer-songwriter, has been making waves in the music business for 20 years! His style is unique, and his eclectic history in music and fashion during his stay in the limelight has meant that he has gathered a wide range of followers from around the globe.