Todd Gilchrist
Demi Lovato’s ‘Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over’ Is a Reckoning and Rebirth
Album Reviews • Published on April 2021
It feels a little mean to criticize Demi Lovato given how publicly she’s discussed her personal ups and downs that have become the inspiration, and inevitably, subject matter for her songs, but…
On ‘Deacon,’ Serpentwithfeet Tells a Joyful Story of Queer Love
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
Relative newcomer Serpentwithfeet is part of the growing ranks of Black artists like Sampha, Sudan Archives and Moses Sumney who are expanding the panorama of contemporary R&B with experimental, digressive, utterly mesmerizing…
On ‘Chemtrails Over the Country Club,’ Lana Del Rey Reckons With the Career and Life She Cultivated
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
If you’re not already a fan of Lana Del Rey, her latest album “Chemtrails over the Country Club” probably won’t change your mind. The performative, narcissistic melancholy of her music has…
Nick Jonas’ ‘Spaceman’ Is Pop Music Comfort Food That Takes Few Risks
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
It’s hard to read the title of Nick Jonas’ “Spaceman” and not immediately think of the doctor of the same name (pronounced Spah-CHEM-in) played by Chris Parnell on “30 Rock,” but…
‘Revelación’: Selena Gomez Delivers Catchy Crossover Pop With Spanish-Language EP
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
After promising Spanish-language music for years, Selena Gomez releases her “Revelación” EP on March 12, a career move that will certainly expand her worldwide popularity even if it doesn’t quite liberate…
Drake Returns With ‘Scary Hours 2’ EP, a Lead-in To His Upcoming Full-Length
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
For someone who’s at the absolute top of the recording industry, it’s tough to get excited about a new album — or really, a release of any kind — from Drake. His…
‘When You See Yourself’: Kings of Leon Refine What Makes Them Great
Album Reviews • Published on March 2021
News broke in the days before the release of “When You See Yourself” that Kings of Leon’s eighth studio album was being released as a “non-fungible token,” a form of cryptocurrency…
Willie Nelson Explores Some Deeper Cuts on His Second Sinatra Tribute ‘That’s Life’
Album Reviews • Published on February 2021
After releasing the Frank Sinatra tribute album “My Way” in 2018, Willie Nelson returns with “That’s Life,” a second collection of songs from Ol’ Blue Eyes’ expansive catalog, and more…
Pink Sweats Forges a New Path Through R&B on the Soulful, Eclectic ‘Pink Planet’
Album Reviews • Published on February 2021
The great virtue of young artists ignoring or being unfamiliar with what came before them is that they don’t know what they don’t know; there are no rules to adhere to, much less…
‘Lost Themes III: Alive After Death’: John Carpenter Continues To Forge Creepy New Musical Territory
Album Reviews • Published on February 2021
Just a few years ago John Carpenter was a horror luminary advancing gracefully into his twilight years, an artist rightfully taking his place among the genre’s standard bearers as descendants and disciples…
Hayley Williams Is in Her Feelings on Delicate ‘Flowers for Vases/Descansos’
Uncategorized • Published on February 2021
It may surprise critics of punk-pop chart toppers Paramore to learn that the new solo album by frontwoman Hayley Williams, “Flowers For Vases / Descansos,” is pretty wonderful. Listening to singer-songwriters…
‘Medicine at Midnight’: Foo Fighters Keep Carrying Rock’s Flickering Torch
Album Reviews • Published on February 2021
You have to admire Foo Fighters’ commitment to rock music at a time when it’s never been less popular — their version of it, anyway. Listening to the band’s new album “…
‘OK Human’: Weezer Replaces Guitars With String Arrangements
Album Reviews • Published on January 2021
If the last time you listened to Weezer was during the release of the band’s 2001 “Green Album,” then “OK Human” suggests a very smooth and consistent evolution between their third…
Rhye’s ‘Home’ Brings Sensual, Intimate Vibes Into Our Pandemic Lives
Album Reviews • Published on January 2021
In the absence of a new album by Sade, Rhye’s “Home” offers a placeholder for lovers looking for her iconic brand of postcoital musical bliss. Relocating in 2019 to L.A.’s storied…
With ‘Right Now,’ Willie Jones Searches for His ‘American Dream’
Album Reviews • Published on January 2021
After decades of white artists building successful careers on the music and iconography of Black innovators, it seems only right that turnabout is fair play. While few and far between, the country genre…
Zayn Claims ‘Nobody Is Listening,’ Has a Lot To Say About Love, Sex and Himself
Album Reviews • Published on January 2021
Media-cultivated solo career narratives become less meaningful when you’ve never heard (or heard of) the pop group or boy band these artists came from. But there’s a reason why these individuals were chosen to perform…
Jazmine Sullivan Spotlights the Complexities of Being a Modern Woman on Unapologetic ‘Heaux Tales’
Album Reviews • Published on January 2021
Jazmine Sullivan has been recording professionally for more than 12 years, a considerable accomplishment given that her breakthrough song, the revenge-themed hip-hop tango “Bust Your Windows,” blew up after an appearance on…
On ‘Music To Get Murdered By – Side B,’ Eminem Offers Peerless Skill but No New Sides of Himself
Album Reviews • Published on December 2020
It’s tough to discuss Eminem as a white hip-hop fan without getting personal. If you’ve spent five or ten or thirty years exploring the most vital Black musical movement of the modern…
On ‘McCartney III,’ Paul McCartney Delivers Some Of His Most Understated, Impactful Music in Decades
Album Reviews • Published on December 2020
If you haven’t listened to Paul McCartney in a while, now’s a great time to start again. “McCartney III” is indeed a sequel to his 1980 album “McCartney II” — but…
For Kid Cudi, Mental Health Remains a Musical Cornerstone on ‘Man On The Moon III: The Chosen’
Album Reviews • Published on December 2020
Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen” finally wraps “Man on the Moon” album cycle this week with 18 new songs that evidence his sharpening talents as a writer…