Quality vs. quantity, finding lost music, and projecting a positive future — I wanna get better at this. With as many voices as I’ve written with, I’m already proud of the thoughts I’ve shared in writing. But I’m torn between wanting more bylines and getting more nuanced with my takes: quality versus quantity. If the goal is growing at the rate in…

Faced with limited resources and a fleeting confidence, Charli creates one of the most prolific projects in music today. — Charli Aitchison’s (Charli XCX) COVID-19 documentary, “Alone Together” is a reliable snapshot of her mental state during a time when any sense of normalcy was hard to come by. Shutting down the 2019 tour for her album ‘Charli,’ bringing her face-to-face with self doubt and challenging the relationship with her…

Plugging music for my enjoyment — I don’t think lists outline the best or worst of anything. Compiling a list of my favorite albums serves me more than it does any reader. There is no album on this list that deserves any more praise than the others, I love all of them. …

In the most drawn out release of his career, Kanye proves that he is untouchable with the attention of the public. — On the last Sunday of August, Kanye West released his 10th LP, ‘Donda’ under Universal Music Group. If you’re familiar with Kanye, colloquially known as ‘Ye’, you’re familiar with how elusive and inconsistent each release can be. Being a Kanye fan forces you to rid yourself of the idea that…

No shades? No problem. — When I consider country music, Brooks & Dunn flash in my mind with their tried and true songwriting that stands the test of time: emotionally-bare tropes of loss preview mentions of whiskey and potentially unhealthy behavior. I love it. Country music operates within the feelings understood behind slammed doors in…

At the onset of Half Waif’s latest album, Mythopoetics, you’re immediately thrown into the dignified, trying world of Nandi Rose. Agreeing with the title’s reference to making myths, Mythopoetics creates distance between traumatic moments through sonic beauty. Where artists choose to remain in the space of a paralyzing loss, Rose…

Music came alive during that night in New York. — I grew up listening to Luther Vandross and understood that his vocal abilities were otherworldly. I can’t identify an emotion that Luther can’t elucidate with his chest-voice. This past week, however, I’ve been attached to his 2003 performance at Radio City Music Hall. Prior to listening to the concert album…

Following their recent signing with Epitaph Records, the hardcore band confirms their authentic sound. — This past Juneteenth, the Philadelphia four-piece hardcore band Soul Glo released the second-volume of Dis Nigga under Epitaph Records. Conjoining the two EPs, the initial EP released in February of this year, brings the audience to further understand the band’s emotional intensity as subjective beings beyond the fame. Across the…

I went through this month’s releases (so far) and selected the statements to follow. — June has already been hopeful for music fans across all genres: tour dates for the fall have been announced with plenty of new music to match. The world is reopening and music is taking every opportunity to return to its pre-pandemic state as well. Two and a half weeks into…