Albums
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga- Love For Sale (Columbia)
The level of a collaboration’s true success is measured by the ability of each performer to bring out the very best of the other. Bennett and Gaga far exceeded that benchmark on their first outing together, 2014’s Cheek to Cheek, and they more than repeat that feat with this sequel, a charming and beautiful tour through the classic catalog of Cole Porter. Two generation gaps cannot deny their natural chemistry, nor their natural ability to put a golden shine on these noble jazz standards, including “I Get A Kick Out of You”, the title track, “It’s De-Lovely”, “Night and Day”, and many others. The musicianship accompanying them throughout is nothing short of superb and is given ample room to shine through. The true highlight of the record however is the evident admiration glowing between the two singers. Bennett clearly finds exuberant joy when singing with the pop icon; while her obvious love and admiration for Bennett radiates from her performances; with an added special element of bittersweet magic given the fact that this stands as Bennett’s final bow in an incomparably staggering career. For those reasons and many more, Love For Sale will live on as a cherished jazz gem.
Brandi Carlile- In These Silent Days (Elektra)
In 2018, Brandi Carlile’s riveting By the Way I Forgive You finally transformed the Americana trailblazer into the household name she should have been from the start, shining light on the stirring, era-defining catalog she’d been building for over a decade prior. As she follows that project up with the long-awaited In These Silent Days, she finds her cultural profile higher than ever, widely regarded as one of today’s most important voices, in spite of the fact that she’s still never scored a mainstream radio hit. In These Silent Days may not change that, and it damn sure doesn’t matter. This album is another masterful release from a powerful singer-songwriter thriving in her prime. Carlile’s immense vocal depth and soulful songwriting are once again astounding, while sonically she expands her roots palate to incorporate colorful shades of classic rock; first single “Right On Time” is an epic showstopper, with its accompanying music video and the album’s cover boasting all sorts of David Bowie influences. She carries that rock experimentation through on other highlights like “Broken Horses”, “When You’re Wrong”, and “Sinners, Saints and Fools”, but the record remains grounded in Carlile’s folk, country and Americana roots as well, with tear-worthy tracks like “This Time Tomorrow”, “You and Me On the Rock”, “Letter to the Past”, and “Throwing Good After Bad” capable of ripping your heart to shreds like “That Wasn’t Me” and “The Joke” before it. The past decade-plus has played witness to a glorious revival of folk-rock, and In These Silent Days instantly joins the ranks of countless classic albums in that vein that have made that musical renaissance possible.
Coldplay- Music of the Spheres (Parlophone)
Exploring a similar vein to their 2005 landmark album X&Y, the ninth LP from Coldplay finds the band returning to the realm of a space-themed concept album. Set in a fictional galaxy known as “The Spheres”, the record is drowning in synthesizers, intergalactic sound effects, and heavily produced interludes. Chris Martin’s unique voice has always sounded truly captivating in these soundscapes, and that fact remains unchanged here. Unlike X&Y, this record doesn’t offer a landmark moment like “Fix You”, but it does offer loads more of grandiose pop moments to latch onto, including lead hit “Higher Power”, and box office collabs with young pop tarts like Selena Gomez and BTS. Long-time Coldplay elitists will of course roll their eyes at such associations, but there’s no denying the appeal of hearing Martin & co. dabbling in such territory. The Gomez duet, “Let Somebody Go” is authentic and tender, while “My Universe” with the inescapable K-pop boy band is criminally catchy. Meanwhile, the album’s space-odyssey resembling finale, “Coloratura” is nothing short of a grandiose, orchestral affair, spanning over ten minutes, and providing us with one of the band’s truly definitive moments. It extolls all of the cinematic wonders that have always been at the heart of Coldplay’s potent rock powers.
Lana Del Rey- Blue Banisters (Interscope)
If you’re eager to be spoiled this year with heaping helpings of tragically beautiful and gloomy music, Lana Del Rey is your gal. Arriving just seven months after the release of the excellent Chemtrails Over the Country Club, the queen of dark pop returns with her eighth studio release. Truthfully, this album would’ve likely benefited with further distance from Chemtrails, as proximity will unavoidably result in unfair comparisons, and the reality is that Banisters lacks the sonic and thematic variety, concise length, and emotional weight that made its predecessor such a well-rounded wonder. Nevertheless, Del Rey’s singing is always gorgeously wrenching (the title track’s vocals, as well as those on “Nectar of the Gods” are particularly wondrous), and her songwriting raw and rife with stunning honesty. That’s also not to say the artist doesn’t carve herself out of the dreary realm she’s so masterful at; “Interlude: The Trio” proves to be a bizarre and misplaced, if not fascinating, interruption and the carnal intensity of “Dealer” is a deliciously demonic detour worth seeking out.
Jackson-Sellers- Breaking Point (Anti)
A grungy, gratifying combination of the ramshackle garage-honky hybrids that both Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers have been deftly crafting in their solo careers for the past several years. Their equally ethereal pipes seamlessly coalesce into one breathtakingly angelic sound, backdropped against a hellaciously raucous wall of unpolished sonic grease. After all, that tantalizing dichotomy is essentially the core of both country and rock music, and it serves these ladies splendidly as the essence of Breaking Point. The album rarely slows or quiets down, clipping away at a sweaty tempo on should-be smashes like the title track, Julie Miller’s “The Devil is An Angel”, the angst-ridden “Wound Up”, and the dirty blues number “Wild One”. But when the duo does pare things back on moments like “As You Run” or “Hush”, the results are truly gripping. Breaking Point is far more than a little side-project from two underground songbirds; this is one of the year’s best rock records from two badasses full of confident swagger and impressive, emotional depth.
Natalie Hemby- Pins and Needles (Concord)
Natalie Hemby’s song craft is likely more familiar to you than you realize, with a resume that includes credentials such as membership in The Highwomen, and writing credits on mainstream hits by the likes of Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Kacey Musgraves. On this, her sophomore solo album, she once again demonstrates a singer-songwriter style that has one foot in the Laurel Canyon era of the early 70s, and one in the 90s country female movement. Her lyrics overflow with sharp intellect, riveting reflection, and candid confessionals. Lead single “Heroes” tackles the iconic falsehoods we bestow upon the celebrities we idolize, while “Hardest Part of Business” indicts the scandalous and betraying nature of the corporate world in hilarious, cutting fashion. “New Madrid” comes to vibrant life by way of layers of illuminating guitar-driven tension, of both the acoustic and steel variety. “Banshee” is a twisted updated take on the themes of “Jolene”, with a particularly stalkeresque atmosphere that is both spooky and wildly entertaining. She saves the most guttural moment for last, with “Last Resort”, a stirring profession of unconditional love and support during one’s darkest life moments.
Ed Sheeran- = (Asylum)
One of the year’s most anticipated pop returns, the first proper studio release from Ed Sheeran in four and a half years (a duets record bridged the gap in 2019), provides plenty of evidence that he remains both a vital and creative songwriter as well as a skilled pop noisemaker. Smash singles “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” shamelessly pivot to the 80s tinged dance noir that The Weeknd has brought to further prominence in the past two years, and both are executed flawlessly. Overall however, = is designed as a time capsule of a prominent period in Sheeran’s life, with tracks like “Tides”, “First Times”, and “Sandman” examining personal and professional landmarks from marriage and fatherhood to fame and celebrity. He’s a unique talent in the fact that he can indulge in so much sentimentality and rarely come off as indulgent or overly sappy. No greater feat defines this album in that regard than the absolutely heart-wrenching “Visiting Hours”, a gracefully poignant and genuinely moving expression of grief, loss and love.
Zac Brown Band- The Comeback (Warner)
As the title implies, the seventh long-player from Zac Brown and his troops is being touted as a return-to-roots effort, after a series of ill-received segues into heavier sounds of pop, rock and electronica on releases like 2015’s Jekyll + Hyde and 2019’s The Owl. Yes, there was 2017’s more organic Welcome Home, and there were always plenty of other roots-oriented moments sprinkled throughout the band’s more recent work. But there’s no denying that The Comeback feels like a full-blown reconnection to their first (and best) three albums. It’s just a flat-out reality that an acoustic based platform highlights the signature warmth of Brown’s voice and the group’s harmonies, musicianship and lyrics far more effectively than the more sterile environments of its immediate predecessor, even if a chunk of this material is admittedly retread. It’s all wholly enjoyable nonetheless. “Fun Having Fun” is a true standout, reviving the act’s jam band qualities while nodding back to a perennial debut favorite, “It’s Not OK”. Meanwhile, the Marcus King duet, “Stubborn Pride”, is a the album’s true cornerstone, a divine display of King’s soulful vocal magic as well as the rich depths of Brown’s range. All in all, The Comeback truly feels like a reunion with an old friend, and will certainly encourage many to dust off reliable classics like The Foundation, You Get What You Give, and Uncaged, which all remain among the very best musical moments of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Another run like that would be more than welcome from ZBB. Here’s hoping this is the start of such a run.
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