Latest Reviews

Surprisingly, Lana Del Rey is sharing with us a one-off cover of John Denver's classic song "Take Me Home, Country Roads." The track features Lana’s impeccable vocals and a simple, reverberated piano. The song manages to hold momentum on its own despite being so simple, just because the musicians involved are so skilled. The track crescendos in a majestic choir section singing to the chorus. The original track by John Denver is country but still has a dreamy feeling to it. Lana’s cover manages to capture and even enhance that dreamy, longing feeling.

Sophie is an Indie Latin artist from the UK, and she just released a strong new ballad. Now the name might not ring a bell, but I’m hoping it will soon. When I heard this track first, I was a bit taken aback. I am a complete and absolute sucker for slow ballads of a certain type. This song fits that type, with a beautiful nylon string guitar and dreamy, Latin-inspired vocals. If you want another gorgeous nylon string guitar section, try listening to “Really Love” by D’angelo, which features Isaiah Sharkey’s playing. Anyway, I was fearful when I listened to this song for the first time because I liked the mood it set so much. I was waiting for it to drop the drums, be it a drill, trap, or dancehall beat. But that drop never came, and I couldn’t be happier for it. This track is a smacker. While you are in the zone, you can discover other similar tracks such as:

If I can find the words to fully describe Sven Wunder’s latest release, Ultramarine, I will be proud of myself. Even though I think an artist like Sven is happy not to be completely boxed up. Sven has a background in scoring for film, which can be heard. Sven released this song on his label, Piano Piano Records. He is very much part of the current vinyl movement, making most of his tracks into vinyl records. His father was a jazz drummer, and he grew up around that, which can be heard. He also has a deep appreciation for traditional sounds, implementing traditional instruments from all around the world into his music, which can be heard. He has previously released records influenced by different traditions. Eastern Flowers (traditional Turkish) and Wabi Sabi (Japanese jazz) are some of my favorites.

Taylor Swift released the song “You’re Losing Me” for the first time in 2022 as a CD exclusive and only to be purchased in-person at certain venues on her “the Eras Tour.” This sneak release, of course, added to the suspense for her superfans who knew that there was a new song finished just waiting to be heard. Now, the song can be heard on all streaming services as part of her latest string of “From the Vault” releases. The song was co-written and co-produced with her music mogul partner, Jack Antonoff. Along with working on other works by Taylor like “1989,” “Reputation,” and “Lover,” Jack Antonoff has also collaborated with Sia, Pink, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Carly Rae Jepsen, and many more.

A special Bryan Adams box set is set to be released via BMG on Friday, December 8th. This set is put together from three very special nights in 2022 when Bryan Adams played at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. The set will be made available in CD, vinyl, digital, Blu-ray, also containing a photo book with unique images from the shows. 

The next year is just two steps away, and I doubt I'll encounter another album in the remaining time that surprises and captivates me as much as Marina Herlop's new album. Undoubtedly, she ranks among the most talented "pop" singers and composers of the last decade.

Have you ever listened to a good '70s R&B or soul track and wondered, “Man, where did all the good times go?” I think Ari Lennox can show you where they went and also where they are going with her new release “Get Close.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic album Fallen, Evanescence is releasing a deluxe remastered edition of the entire album. Ted Jensen, who worked as a sound engineer on the original releases, also did the remastering. Now, I came into this review thinking I would have to plead with people hungry to revive their nostalgia to have a listen. I want to do that also, but it turns out Evanescence still has a very active crowd of 14.3 million monthly listeners (on Spotify only).

Dua Lipa releases a new upbeat pop banger with an honorable feature of Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, who produced the song. The lyrics of Houdini are quite simple and build on metaphors around the famous magician, with lyrics in the hook:

Celebrating the 10th-year anniversary of their album Random Access Memories, Daft Punk has released a deluxe version without drums. Many people find themselves asking for the purpose of this release. Some fan sentiments might sound like: