Music

LIL NAS X

Montero

Columbia Records

Music and fashion icon Lil Nas X is dropping his spurs for a pink prison jumpsuit on his debut album Montero. We’ve had to sit in agony for two years since “Old Town Road” for this sultry symphony to drop and it is truly a masterpiece. At only 22, Lil Nas X has solidified himself not only as a lyrical mastermind but as a visionary. Every last detail in his music videos - each more grandiose than the next - shows how dedicated he is to his craft and giving the audience a good “old” time. Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus all bring the heat on tracks, too. Harlow slices up a witty rap on “Industry Baby” while Doja Cat brings the sauce on “Scoop.” Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X's vocals melt like butter on a sticky Sunday morning with “Am I Dreaming?,” while Elton John passes off the torch to the future legend on “One of Me.” His range is astounding and his career will be ever-lasting. - Marisa

Patwa

KACEY MUSGRAVES

Star-Crossed

MCA Nashville/Interscope Records

While I’m not a true country girl at heart, Kacey Musgraves made mine beat. She absolutely slayed her musical guest performance during the season premiere of SNL. She sang “Justified” raw and naked as an ode to Jenny from Forrest Gump - and she delivered “Camera Roll” with just as much sincerity. Musgraves was hauntingly raw and vulnerable with the masked studio audience and it was beautiful. The sixtime Grammy Award-winner turned me into an instant fan, and then the deep dive into her discography began. Like Maren Morris, she has the perfect combination of salty country with some sugar pop. I’m glad I’m finally catching up in the country classroom because this fifth studio album is a true education. “Simpler Times” is a throwback to 90's high school life. The slow, sweat burn radiates with passion. The music video is full of fun and color as Musgraves and her gang of girls hit the mall, then rob a wedding dress shop. There is just something so insatiable about her twangy voice that infuses each track with a layer of honey that just tastes like home. - Marisa Patwa

JESSE MCCARTNEY

New Stage

Blue Suit

Jesse McCartney first caught my eye as a teeny bopper boppin' bangers in Dream Street. While his career early on was packed with crowds and adoration from loving girls, he hasn’t been able to streamline his success the way successor Justin Bieber has. Although McCartney has sunken into the shadows a bit, he still has the vocal flair that made us put posters of him up on our middle school bedroom walls in the first place. The singer, who just recently tied the knot, is hoping this album is a fresh start. It's also a sweet ode to his wife. There’s a newfound sense of maturity from the vocalist, now in his mid thirties. “Discovering You” breaks down how they first fell in magnetic love: “History started in your tiny one bed apartment/ When I think of my story, you begin and end it all for me.” He's clearly done some soul-searching since “Beautiful Soul.” I admire a man with growth. “Party for Two” is a breath of fresh, catchy air. While McCartney may never sell-out stadiums again, he’ll always have a place in the music industry as a respected artist. As for the level of romance in dedicating a whole album to the love of his life? Men listen up. - Marisa Patwa

RESIST & BITE

Self-titled

Lor Live Records

Resist & Bite is a refreshing new band featuring former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch, Owensboro native David Parks on drums, vocalist Nathan Utz, guitarist Steve Stokes and bassist Brian Powell. At first listen, the new record sounds a bit like Tesla’s ground-breaking 1986 debut Mechanical Resonance. This is not surprising, as Skeoch is a founding member of Tesla. But what is serendipitous about the debut is how varied the song styles are - metal, blues, countryrock, dark and rhythmic to energetic rockers. This record nicely showcases Skeoch’s body of guitar work and Utz’s vocal range. What’s more, it features glimpses here and there of Parks and Stokes’ Nashville influence. Twin guitar solos are featured throughout, and Utz does a fine job crafting catchy vocal hooks whilst tackling real-life subject matter on some tracks. Start with “A Soul for Mary,” “Fate,” “Up in Flames” and the opener “Blood on Me.” This one is great fun! - Matt Alschbach

INJURY RESERVE

By The Time I Get to Phoenix

Self-released

I honestly believe By The Time I Get to Phoenix, the second album by Arizona rap group Injury Reserve, will go down as a hip-hop classic. The album is so original sounding; it’s almost hard to talk about. The bulk of it is built around a unique approach to sampling in which Injury Reserve break down and destroy old soul songs into a glitchy, chaotic acid trip. Yes, the album sounds messy. It doesn’t sound bad or wrong, though. By The Time I Get to Phoenix spirals downward for 30 minutes until the penultimate track “Knees” kicks in and the chaos abruptly stops, the soul is restored, and a moment of clarity is had. “Knees” is a beautiful track and the most accessible song on the album, but the ride you take to get there is absolutely necessary. - Russ Finn

FULL MOOD

Red Sleep

Cold Lunch Recordings

Nashville alt-pop duo Full Mood follow-up their 2019 debut EP with Red Sleep, a collection of seven sleek synth songs. The new EP is Full Mood’s debut on label Cold Lunch Recordings and finds the group doubling-down and honing the dream pop sound they’ve cultivated. Opener “2U” immediately sets the tone for the rest of Red Sleep with a stabbing synthesizer riff and a slow phasing hum over slick drum machine beats. Singer and keyboardist Miranda McLaughlin’s voice is smooth and brooding and lends itself perfectly to the dreamy atmosphere she brings out of her keyboard, while multi-instrumentalist Nick Morelly strikes at the exact right moments with crystalline guitar. On Red Sleep, Full Mood nails their stylish dreams with careful precision, leaving listeners craving more. - Russ Finn

PILE

Songs Known Together, Alone

Exploding in Sound

For over a decade, indie rock band Pile have been climbing their way through the ranks of DIY. Since 2007, Pile has released seven studio albums and become one of the most popular bands from their Boston scene. In late 2020, while Pile (and most bands) were taking a break from touring, band leader Rick Maguire performed a live-stream solo show which was recorded and turned into Songs Known Together, Alone. The resulting album serves as a live compilation of some of Pile’s best songs. Though the renditions found here are lacking Pile’s explosive punk sound and energy, the more intimate solo recordings do well to highlight Maguire’s songwriting. Ultimately, this is a good album, and perhaps even a good entry into Pile’s overall discography, but mostly feels like something to hold fans over until the next proper Pile album. - Russ Finn

DURAN DURAN

Future Past

Tape Modern/BMG

Four decades on from their self-titled debut, Duran Duran remain a relevant force in the music industry, nimbly sidestepping the nostalgia scene. How, exactly? Well, unlike most 80's bands that are content to coast on the hits from their heyday, the Birmingham Boys continue to hunker down in the studio every few years, always intent on producing something fresh and exciting to add to the DD discography. For better or worse, that is. Truthfully, apart from 2011's stunning All You Need Is Now which saw a return to the band's classic New Romantic sound, Duran Duran have generally shot themselves in the foot by pointlessly trying to keep up with the times, sonically speaking (i.e., employing Kanye West production techniques on 2015's mediocre Paper Gods). Future Past finds Duran Duran straddling the middle ground, both reaching back to their synth-funk roots and attempting to come across as contemporary. That's all well and good but the songs just aren't strong enough; even the best tracks here - "Anniversary," "Invisible" and "More Joy" - don't quite measure up to the band's past or point to a bright future. Simon Le Bon's ageless vocals make it worth a listen, though. - Johnny Fletcher

Blues with Bragin

LUCA KIELLA

Ready for You

Cypress Road Productions

Italian bluesman Luca Kiella returns with Ready for You. The album kicks off with “Till Tomorrow” featuring horns from Mark Mullins, Bobby Campo and Brad Walker and bass from William Baggett which give the song a Latin flair as Kiella sings about putting off worry for another day. “Here No More” begins with a rolling piano solo from Kiella. The horn section returns with raw power. The happy, toe-tapping music at the beginning of “I Hate My Boss” offers a nice contrast to pointed and humorous lyrics that almost everyone can sing at some point during their career.

“Desperate Train to Nowhere” features melancholy guitar from Aaron Weistrop and superb background vocals from Michelle Hallman. The song “Many Reasons Ago” seems perfect for dancing in spite of the lyrics about needing to put someone out of your life. The top-notch horn section returns for the final time on “Misstep.” “A True Connection” boasts introspective piano and vocals from Kiella as he sings about past enjoyments no longer entertaining him and wanting to repair a relationship. Chuck Bontrager’s string section provides another layer of depth. Kiella sings about leaving on “Let You Go.” A 1950's sock hop vibe dominates “Wanna Love You Tonight” as Kiella masterfully plays the piano. Anyone who enjoys soulful, piano-driven music needs to listen to this album. - Paul Bragin