Tag: The 2020’s
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Marcus King ‘El Dorado’ (2020)
Marcus King is only 27 years old but has already established himself as one of the finest guitar players of this generation. King reminds me a lot of some of my favorite guitarists from the 60’s and 70’s, like Duane Allman and Merle Haggard, guys who can rip with the best of them but also…
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Devin Morrison ‘Dream Lobby Vol. IV’ (2022)
Dream Lobby Vol. IV is an album well-suited for hold music around something exciting (think less customer tech support, more booking a travel agency) or elevator music in the lobby at a Las Vegas casino. I’ve actually started leveraging Devin Morrison’s albums as a soundtrack for work when I’m building Powerpoint decks for an upcoming…
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Polyphia ‘Remember That You Will Die’ (2022)
Polyphia is one of the (if not the) most popular instrumental prog-rock bands operating today and their 2022 album Remember That You Will Die underscores just why– it’s filled with hooks aplenty and simply virtuosic instrumental performances. Guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage absolutely shred throughout the entirety of this 39-minute affair, taking their metal…
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49th & Main ‘Must Be Nice’ (2022)
If you’re looking for hooks, 49th & Main’s Must Be Nice is a convenient one-stop shop. Blending indie, disco, house, and 80’s soft rock has been done once over but there’s something especially catchy about the Irish duo’s approach. It’s been a week since I first went through this album and I don’t think there…
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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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Nathaniel Rateliff ‘And It’s Still Alright’ (2020)
Nathaniel Rateliff is one of my favorite contemporary singers. His voice has a real richness on the low end and when he decides too really let loose the power he delivers almost sounds unhinged. I also love his weird articulation of certain words– I don’t know this for sure, but I’m pretty sure Rateliff purposefully…
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Metro Boomin ‘Heroes & Villains’ (2022)
Metro Boomin was one of hip hop’s top hitmakers in the mid-2010’s and it shows considering the lineup he trots out on Heroes & Villains— John Legend, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Young Thug, A$AP Rocky, and Morgan Freeman (yes, that Morgan Freeman) all make appearances. It’s effectively a love letter to the dark…
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Bluey ‘Bluey The Album’ (2021)
Children’s music has the unfortunate stereotype of causing severe bleeding of the ears. The soundtrack from Bluey definitely puts that stereotype to rest, showcasing an abundance of musical depth that should appeal to parents and kids alike. The first track of this album, which triumphantly parades out a variety of instruments including trumpets, guitars, violins,…
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Alexisonfire ‘Otherness’ (2022)
Alexisonfire is the band that best encapsulates what I love most about melodic post-hardcore sound. The drop-D tunings, heavy riffs, and distorted screams interspersed with gorgeous clean vocals and euphonic guitar melodies. It’s a recipe that is pretty much irresistible for me. 13 years on since their last studio album, Otherness is an emphatic statement…
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Penny and Sparrow ‘Olly Olly’ (2022)
Lo-fi acoustic guitar draped under synths that drip down the walls like honey. Vocal melodies heard from a church service taking place in space. This is a portrait of a Nashville bedroom in the rain. Incorporating country and R&B musical elements has been done once over, but this feels fresh, new, and inspired. Layers of…
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