Reviews
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Sinéad O'Connor: I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss
Whenever anyone thinks of — or mentions — Sinéad O\’Connor, chances are pretty good that her music isn\’t, necessarily, the first thing that comes to mind. But O\’Connor has never cared very much what people think of her and, now that she\’s in her late 40s, she seems to care even less. Pretty much since she…
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Paloma Faith: A Perfect Contradiction
Infused with a sophistication that is not often found in the pop genre, Paloma Faith\’s A Perfect Contradiction isthe thinking woman\’s dance music. It all comes together in a wonderful synthesis of utterly danceable grooves, potently soulful vocals, intriguingly varied production, and not completely banal lyrics. Songs like “Mouth to Mouth” and “Take Me” come…
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Louise Goffin: Songs from the Mine
It\’s hard to believe it\’s been 12 years since Louise Goffin issued Sometimes a Circle, her 2002 collection of infectious, inspired pop gems. But, here she is, with Songs from the Mine, her 2014 collection of compelling, contemplative pop gems. The mix of catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics is a Goffin trademark that she comes…
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Ray LaMontagne Delivers, Yet Doesn't at the Woods at Fontanel
Ray LaMontagne writes great songs and makes great records. And that\’s certainly no small feat. His live shows, though, while being technically and musically superlative, really don\’t leave the audience with a whole lot to hang on to other than the technique and the music. There\’s no personal engagement on LaMontagne\’s part. It\’s as if…
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Jonah Tolchin: Clover Lane
With the opening strains of “Mockingbird,” listeners know they are in for a ride worth taking all the way down Jonah Tolchin\’s Clover Lane. Recorded over the course of a mere four days in Nashville with producer Marvin Etzioni and some of the best players around, the set harkens back to a simpler time in…
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Fink: Hard Believer
There\’s been quite a bit of talk that Fink\’s Hard Believer doesn\’t deliver on the artistic promise made by 2011\’s Perfect Darkness. But that would be to assume that each subsequent album in an artist\’s catalog is meant as a follow-on. Why not let each be what it wants to be… what it is? Hard…
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Evan Rasch: Sophomore
There\’s a reason the freshman effort by singer/songwriter Evan Rasch is titled Sophomore. (He\’s soon to be a sophomore music major at Kenyon College.) There\’s also a reason what would seem to be the title track is spelled differently, as \”Sophmore.\” (His girlfriend\’s name is Sophie.) It\’s also worth noting that the set\’s producer, Andrew Brassell, is…
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Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell Inaugurate New Hall for Music City Roots
For the inaugural broadcast of Music City Roots from Liberty Hall in Franklin, Tenn., the show couldn\’t have chosen two better headliners than Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. The duo has been touring behind their collaborative Old Yellow Moon project and are currently in the studio working on its follow-up. Still, they took leave to gift…
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Brandi Carlile Woos and Wails with Nashville Symphony
When I attended the Indigo Girls with the Nashville Symphony at the end of May, I had an absolutely revelatory experience. The songs, the scores, and the performances all converged to simultaneously take my breath away and breathe new life into a catalog of music I\’ve been enjoying for more than 25 years. Chasing that same…
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The Shadowboxers Keep It Sharp at 3rd and Lindsley
Setting the tone and taking the stage to Michael Jackson\’s \”Don\’t Stop Til You Get Enough,\” The Shadowboxers looked as sharp as they sounded last night at Nashville\’s 3rd and Lindsley. Kicking off the evening with the soulful harmonies and smooth grooves of \”Let You Get the Best of Me,\” the Atlanta quintet set a brisk…