B-
What more do you want from Weezer at this point?
“Don’t get mad at me, I’m just being honest,” Rivers Cuomo sings on Weezer’s latest self-titled, color-coded album,…
Two new rarities albums show the songs Alex Chilton was in love with
By the end of the 20th century, Alex Chilton—pop hit Box Tops singer, Big Star legend, Replacements inspiration—was…
A-
Ariana Grande has no fucks to spare on the thrilling Thank U, Next
Ariana Grande has had a rough few years, starting with the tragic 2017 Manchester Arena bombing after her concert there…
B
James Blake’s Assume Form is both a surprising twist and a logical conclusion
Despite his Grammy nods and Mercury Prizes, his high-profile collaborations with glitterati, James Blake is not so much…
B+
Sharon Van Etten embraces the here and now on Remind Me Tomorrow
Sharon Van Etten’s transformative fifth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow, kicks off with a lyrical sucker punch:…
B
Deerhunter’s eighth LP is a sci-fi salve for 21st-century anxiety
The conceit of Deerhunter’s eighth full-length, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?, is that it’s a…
Lil Wayne’s long-overdue Tha Carter V, plus High On Fire and more in this week’s music reviews
Lil Wayne’s long-delayed Tha Carter V has enough highlights to carry it through, while metal vets High On Fire offer…
Cher does ABBA, BROCKHAMPTON sprawls out, and more in this week’s music reviews
Of course Cher pulls off the ABBA tribute Dancing Queen. Elsewhere BROCKHAMPTON continues to reveal new shades on Irides…
A
Noname opens up, and invites us to do the same, on the unapologetic Room 25
In 2016, Noname made waves when she debuted with Telefone, a vivid, soulful collection of jazz-rap establishing her …
A-
Jóhann Jóhansson embraces the void on the doom-metal influenced Mandy soundtrack
Although the film’s aesthetic owes just as much to bad-trip ’70s psychedelia, the phrase you’ll hear most often when…
New albums out today: Low, Paul Weller, Spirit Of The Beehive, and more
Low goes fully experimental on Double Negative, while Philly’s Spirit Of The Beehive gains focus on Hypnic Jerks, and…
Spiritualized’s grand goodbye, Joey Purp’s live-wire mixtape, and more new music reviews
Spiritualized leaves us (maybe, but probably not) with the essential And Nothing Hurt, while Chilly Gonzales’ Solo Piano…
Ariana Grande and Mogwai lead a stellar week in new music
Ariana Grande illustrates once again that she is an unparalleled pop chameleon on Sweetener, while KIN splits the…
Nicki Minaj, Animal Collective, and Death Cab lead a busy week in new releases
Nicki Minaj reaches for the throne room, Animal Collective unearths an interesting live artifact, Death Cab do more…
A-
Mitski is alone in the middle of the dance floor on the playful Be The Cowboy
Mitski makes music about inexpressible emotions—urgent, intimate dispatches that seem to come from her very soul. At…
Foxing’s excellent, elastic Nearer My God leads this week’s new releases
Foxing reaches for the skies on its biggest and best record, country singer Shooter Jennings fires off a spotty but…
YG, Helena Hauff, and more albums to know about this week
YG stays dangerous, while Helena Hauff’s Qualm is her rawest collection to date, and The Nature Of Imitation is a…
The Internet, Skeletonwitch, and more albums to know about this week
In this week’s notable new releases: Hive Mind is a step forward for The Internet, while Devouring Radiant Light…
Dirty Projectors, Deafheaven, and more albums to know about this week
Dirty Projectors’ Lamp Lit Prose calls to mind the band’s late-’00s peak, while Deafheaven reach higher on album No. 4,…
Bjørn Torske, Bodega, and more albums to know about this week
In this week’s notable releases, Byen finds nü-disco fixture Bjørn Torske blending more ambient textures into his…