Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
New Long Leg was constructed in pieces on a wiped-down, passed-around tape deck—the new pandemic normal. It could easily have suffered for it, but the production is masterful.
Highly Rated
All reviews awarded a score of 7.5 or above.
The Weather Station – Ignorance
Tamara Lindeman shifts gears on her fifth album as The Weather Station.
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Four years on from the divisive Wildflower, and now almost two decades on from Since I Left You, it feels like The Avalanches have now freed themselves from any pressure at all.
Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals
Like Dylan and Townes Van Zandt before her, Adrianne Lenker is emerging as a songwriter who takes an idea and toys with it.
Owen Pallett – Island
Considering the avant-garde associations suggested by Island’s sonics, it makes sense to weigh the lyrics according to the same, progressive metrics, allowing that the words exist not as prose narrative but as poetic abstractions standing in for more universal meanings.
Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
Bob Dylan recaptures the magic on his 39th studio album.
Sports Team – Deep Down Happy
Deep Down Happy moves along with such exuberant energy that we can’t help but feel amused and entertained.