Blues/psych veteran Guy Blakeslee (the Entrance Band) delivers seven songs of restlessness, transformation, and matters of the heart—roving confessionals stamped with experimental production techniques and a flair for the dramatic. Opener “Sometimes” stumbles slightly under the weight of funereal pacing, but the title track enlivens—a steady, wistful earworm evocative of staring out an unfamiliar window while travelling alone. “Giving Up the Ghost” oscillates between plodding digital squall and fluttering, gilded melodies; “What Love Can Do” proselytizes on the upbeat: “Have you seen what love can do?/It can take any wall and break right through/I know damn well what love can...

Going to Hell is the debut full-length solo effort from Lande Hekt of beloved U.K. indie-pop band Muncie Girls, and it’s also Hekt’s first album after coming out as gay. The album sparkles with infectious feel-good pop; the lyrics follow themes of yearning and contrition, as well as stepping into who you are, and perhaps connecting with others who may need it (like on the beautifully anthemic eponymous track). The brightest encapsulation is the single “Whiskey,” where Hekt’s voice is smoke and velvet, the slow...

Queen Bey officially became queen of the Recording Academy during the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14.  Held in celebration of this past year’s greatest achievements in music, the ceremony nominated Beyoncé for nine awards, making her the most nominated artist of the night. This comes as no surprise, considering Beyoncé had an exceptionally busy 2020. In what was arguably the best collaboration of the year, she and fellow Houston-born rap star Megan Thee Stallion released “Savage Remix,” earning them a joint award for Best...

Since Ella Fitzgerald’s double win at the first ceremony in 1958, women have been making Grammys history. Judy Garland became the first woman to win Album of the Year in 1961, followed by Astrud Gilberto, who held the same honor for Record of the Year in 1964. But still, between 2012 and 2017, 90.7% of general category nominees were male, according to a USC study. In such a male-dominated industry, women are constantly proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, and this year,...

Goat Girl plays it elegantly loose, and a little more mature, with On All Fours. For its sophomore album, the South London group unpacks its musical discussion of Planet Earth, those inhabiting it, and where we’ll go from here. Rhythmic organicism, unsettling sentiments, and ambitiously playful jumps make up the primary vessel. Tracks flow into each other with ease but swell into distinctly different beings over time. On All Fours is carried by sci-fi synthesizers, grounding guitars, and familiar human yearnings for something more. As the album...

It’s only fitting that Doja Cat’s video for “Streets” opens up with her doing the famous #SilhouetteChallenge that has spawned almost 400 million views on TikTok. The challenge consists of a person standing in front of a doorway, while a snippet of the song “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka plays in the background. The audio then transitions into “Streets” and the video cuts to the person dancing sensually to the music. Only their silhouette is shown with mood lighting to accompany...

If there were ever an idyllic introduction to a star on the rise, then Celeste’s Not Your Muse is it. The winner of BBC Music’s Sound of 2020, Celeste is an artist whose versatility is her handshake, as her project takes listeners on a journey through her ears and eyes. The 12-track offering is full of vibes, anchored by the siren’s lush vocals. Whether she’s purring on opener “Ideal Woman,” lifting the energy on “Tonight Tonight,” getting sensual on “A Kiss,” or hitting you right...

This past Friday, SZA dropped her long-awaited music video for “Good Days,” the latest single off of her yet-to-be-titled, upcoming third studio album. The popular R&B singer-songwriter rose to mainstream stardom in 2017 with the release of her sophomore project Cntrl. The songstress originally teased fans with a visual snippet for "Good Days" toward the very end of her video for “Hit Different” last September. The new, self-directed visual stirred up much excitement among fans all weekend long, becoming a trending topic on Twitter and currently sitting...

La Chica (French-Venezuelan artist Sophie Fustec) morphs into a magician, a witch, and an alchemist on the bilingual La Loba—dedicated to her recently deceased brother—in order to translate this devastating loss more clearly. “I transform anger,” she spits in Spanish on the visceral title track, over roiling piano and handclaps, “My anger is my strength.” The seven songs are dreamlike yet raw, more pared-down musically than her previous synth-pop works. “I don’t want to dream again/I’m his ghost/I drink your memory and swallow my wish,”...

If you’ve been waiting for a song that makes you feel seen during these unprecedented times, “Waiting For the World (Tired)” might just become your newest anthem. Candice Hoyes, known professionally as an “artist-cum-activist,” is a woman in jazz wanting to spread the message of Black activism and joy. And she’s doing a damn good job at it. “Waiting For the World (Tired)” is more than just a song that will stick in your head; it’s a mantra that will become embedded into your consciousness. “I wanted...