Category: Pop
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Ben Rector ‘The Joy of Music’ (2022)
Ben Rector is somewhat of a singer-songwriter darling, rising to prominence in 2015 off the back of his Billboard-charting single “Brand New” which put him firmly on the map in the mainstream. A handful of world tours and smash-hits later, Rector got married and had three kids. And while he never was an artist who…
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Huey Lewis & The News ‘Fore!’ (1986)
Huey Lewis & The News occupy a spot in music history as one of the quintessential 80’s power pop bands. They had this folksy charm that was undeniable– from the classic rhythm & blues and doo wop influences, to the gorgeous soft rock chord progressions, to the full band sound. Everything about Huey Lewis was…
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The Weeknd ‘After Hours’ (2020)
The Weeknd’s brand of dark and brooding R&B was a revelation for the genre in the mid 2010’s, breathing new and fresh life into a storied but somewhat stale industry. On After Hours The Weeknd took those R&B roots and pushed everything a bit further– delving into dream pop and synth-driven instrumentation, crafting a semi-concept…
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Engelbert Humperdinck ‘A Man Without Love’ (1968)
It’s rare that I use bullet points in album reviews, but if there’s one man that deserves the honor it is the one and only Engelbert Humperdinck. A true blue crooner, Humperdinck’s wonderfully rich baritone has been dazzling audiences for over 60 years and counting. During that time he’s sold over 140 million records, became…
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Robert Palmer ‘Clues’ (1980)
Robert Palmer’s transition from blue-eyed soul singer to New Wave artist was just getting started on Clues, and the album as a whole sits in this distinctly 80’s space of being multiple things all at once. You have the old-school Rolling Stones esque classic rock thump of “Sulky Girl” sandwiched in between the synth pop…
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Phil Collins ‘…But Seriously’ (1989)
For a lot of people Phil Collins is known for two things— being the “Lion King guy” and for his absolutely thunderously epic drum fill on his most popular song “In The Air Tonight.” For others, it’s the duet “Easy Lover” that he did with Philip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire (a song that…
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Céline Dion ‘Falling Into You’ (1996)
Let’s not belabor the point– Céline Dion is a powerhouse. Her four octave range is the stuff of legend. She’s sold over 200 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling artists of all time. She’s locked down five Grammy’s, four AMA’s, and 20 Juno Awards. In other words, she’s an absolute legend. Falling…
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Sting ‘Mercury Falling’ (1996)
Sting is an absolute treasure to the world of music. I love nearly everything about him. His vocal talent is undeniable, rich with character. His bass playing is sublime and incredibly emotive. His storytelling chops are world renowned. But what I love most about his approach as a songwriter is his unabashed desire to take…
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Barbra Streisand ‘Guilty’ (1980)
If you had to make a list of top entertainment icons of all-time there’s no doubt Barbra Streisand is somewhere at the top of that list. Over her six decade career Streisand has cemented herself in history as a rare winner of the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), sold over 150 million records (!!!), and…
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Khalid ‘American Teen’ (2017)
Khalid’s American Teen nestles itself comfortably into a space somewhere between modern pop and Indie shoegaze, trotting through its 51-minute runtime at a measured pace. The vocals, guitar, and 80’s influenced synths are the focus here– Khalid doesn’t take a whole lot of risks on this album, opting to churn out a cohesive auditory experience…
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Rick Astley ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (1987)
For people in my generation Rick Astley is pretty much exclusively known for nothing more than “Rickrolling”, which is basically the concept of providing a link to something like an article detailing the economic and industrial development of Singapore from 1950 to 1990 (a fascinating read fwiw) and via bait and switch providing a link…
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The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’ (1966)
Initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial reception after it’s 1966 release, Pet Sounds had a resurgence in the mid-90’s and is now regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed and respected albums of all-time. There isn’t a serious list of all-time albums where Pet Sounds doesn’t occupy the top spot or somewhere…
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Taylor Swift ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ (2021)
Paul Simon. Bob Dylan. Prince. Joni Mitchell. Paul McCartney. Bruce Springsteen. Taylor Swift. This collection of names? Some of the best songwriters of all-time. Swift’s 30 track epic Red (Taylor’s Version) underscores that statement with an exclamation point. I’m not usually one for extended releases and double albums as they tend to be filled with…
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Michael Bolton ‘Time, Love & Tenderness’ (1991)
It’s not necessarily en vogue to love the music of Michael Bolton but I seriously can’t get enough of the guy. Every other vocal line he delivers is completely over the top and it’s absolutely great. The dude has tone for days and a gritty high end to his voice that makes every song he…
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Love ‘Forever Changes’ (1967)
Love’s 1967 album Forever Changes is a cult favorite for good reason. Disillusioned with the ignorance of the 60’s Flower Power era, Love penned a poignant criticism of the excess it saw eroding the counterculture movement at the time. This album (correctly) predicted the unrest that would soon follow in the late 60’s/early 70’s, and…
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Peter Gabriel ‘So’ (1986)
So is a dichotomy. On one hand it is a pop record with massive hooks. On the other hand, it is a nuanced prog-pop album that features sonic choices that challenge the listener to re-imagine what a song could be. I’m not sure if there’s been album that has walked the tightrope between artistic integrity…
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The Flamingos ‘Flamingo Serenade’ (1959)
Doo-wop music always makes me incredibly nostalgic for my grandparents. There’s a charming simplicity in the a capella approach, 4-5 voices sung over a sparse arrangement of drums, guitar, bass and orchestral strings all laying a foundation for the vocals to take center stage. The Flamingos were one of the preeminent leaders in doo-wop, their…
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Moulin Rouge ‘The Soundtrack’ (2001)
Moulin Rouge was a cultural earthquake in my early teen years and one of the formative films for many millennials now in their mid-30’s. It’s a visually stunning film and an operatic soundtrack that fits the mood perfectly. The soundtrack is composed almost entirely of cover songs with their own over-the-top spin on them– it’s…
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The Association ‘Insight Out’ (1967)
You can hear The Beatles influence everywhere in The Association’s 1967 album Insight Out, straight away from the barroom sing-along medley of “Wasn’t It Bit Like Now”. Frankly it’s a damn good song, and about as much of a banger you were liable to get in the 60’s. Being completely unfamiliar with the band ahead…
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The Bangles ‘Different Light’ (1986)
There’s effectively no middle ground when it comes to 80’s pop music– it’s either heartwarmingly cheesy, or just plain cheesy. The Bangles 1986 sophomore effort Different Light is filled with a lot more of the latter unfortunately, a saccharin sweet concoction of jangly guitars and reverb that feel empty despite taking up so much space.…
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Avril Lavigne ‘Let Go’ (2002)
Somewhere in the pantheon of pop punk’s meteoric rise to the mainstream lies a statue of Avril Lavigne, transfixed with a deadpan stare, clad in a black t-shirt and frayed jeans. It’s hard to overstate just how much Lavigne changed the game for punk in the early aughts, especially for female artists whose role in…
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