Quartetto Noûs : Ravel & Fauré: String Quartets Review
by Steven Miller
There is a special feeling when a quartet listens as intently as Quartetto Noûs. Their new release, Ravel & Fauré: String Quartets, reflects these as they present two pillars of French chamber music. The eight pieces reveal them as a quartet that lets the music breathe through harmonic color, rhythmic interplay, and an ear for sonic balance.
Ravel’s 1903 String Quartet in F major is the youthful voice of a composer still in dialogue with Debussy and Fauré. Quartetto Noûs makes the music shimmer by leaning into the harmonic transparency of Ravel’s writing. The opening Allegro moderato floats, [...]
By Shannon Smith
From the opening drum roll, Castle Rat’s “Serpent” coils itself around the listener with the kind of vintage-metal authority that is hard to resist. Recorded under the steady hand of Randall Dunn and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez, the track bears all the marks of a band intent on situating itself within the heavy metal continuum while pushing its theatrical boundaries forward.
The Rat Queen (Riley Pinkerton) anchors the performance with a vocal delivery that channels the urgency of early NWOBHM and the gothic charisma of proto-doom. Her voice is commanding with a full-bodied timbre that is serrated at the edges. The vocals have [...]
by Steven Miller
Josh Lawrence’s Still We Dream, released on August 15, 2025, bridges the structural angularity of Thelonious Monk with the lyrical depth of Frédéric Chopin. The twelve songs bring these two composers together through careful arranging and inspired improvisation. The music finds the common thread of form, melody, and risk.
With Diego Rivera on saxophones, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, Rudy Royston on drums, and Mason Bryant joining on guitar for two tracks, Lawrence has surrounded himself with musicians who understand the weight of history and the joy of invention.
The album makes its case [...]
by Shannon Smith
From the first song of Wildflower, Zandi Holup makes it clear she is here to bare her voice to tell stories in song. It’s a debut that feels like a set of songs that understands restraint is as powerful as release. Producer Ryan Hadlock frames her in warm sonic settings of Bear Creek Studios’ warm wood and Pacific Northwest stillness. The album’s mood leaving space for her to work her magic of instinct and craft. You hear her draw from the long tradition of country storytellers, a well of emotional honesty that makes vocal performances stay with you.
“All That’s Left Is Me” is the first seed in this garden, a medium-tempo [...]
by Shannon Smith
Reneé Rapp’s BITE ME is a sophomore album that realigns vocal charisma with production choices that finally match her natural intensity. Where 2023’s Snow Angel often paired Rapp’s voice with too much restraint, thin arrangements, and overly safe balladry, BITE ME brings her into a louder, rougher, and more stylized soundscape. This time, the production invites her to push, snarl, and smirk.
The album opens with “Leave Me Alone,” a genre-establishing track that frames the rest of the record: guitar-forward, percussive, and unafraid to let Rapp’s vocals sit hot in the mix. The fuzzed-out [...]
by Steven Miller
Catalyst: The Music of Gregg Hill is a striking testament to the adaptability of Hill’s compositions, illustrating how his works can be reinterpreted and transformed when placed in the hands of a visionary ensemble, resulting in a very enjoyable world music album. The album marks a departure from the straight-ahead jazz settings that Hill’s music has historically inhabited. Hill’s compositions have long been fixtures in jazz contexts. However, on Catalyst, the Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet, under the direction of bassist Dave Sharp and with arrangements from Elden Kelly, takes [...]
by Steven Miller
Chris Potter’s Eagle’s Point is the kind of album that only comes around when the stars align—literally and figuratively. Featuring a modern supergroup of Brad Mehldau on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums, this release on Edition Records marks a triumphant moment in contemporary jazz. Each of these musicians has carved out a legendary career in their own right, but here, they come together as one, creating something that feels rare and special.
This album, composed entirely by Potter for this occasion, is a meeting of jazz giants; it’s a convergence of individual mastery, [...]
by Steven Miller
Since hitting the rock scene in the 80s with the band Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s guitar work has always been synonymous with a particular kind of raw, unfiltered energy—a tone that straddles the line between controlled aggression and melodic eloquence. With Orgy of the Damned, his latest offering, Slash steps away from the high-energy terrain of hard rock and dives headfirst into the rich, muddy waters of the blues. Released on May 17, 2024, under Gibson Records and Sony Music, this album is a collection of classic covers; it’s a homage to the genre that lies at the very foundation of rock ‘n’ [...]
María Dueñas’ debut album, Beethoven and Beyond, is an exhilarating musical exposition, illuminating the intricate weaving of virtuosity and expression that characterizes the young violinist’s style. The album’s tour de force lies in its exploration of cadenzas. This musical endeavor amplifies the dynamic interplay between the perennial works of legendary composers and Dueñas’s nuanced, innovative interpretations.
Kicking off the album with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Dueñas unveils the musical palette she will [...]
Bonnie Raitt is back with her latest album, Just Like That…, her first album in over six years. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famer continues to draw on all the influences that have shaped her legendary career while simultaneously creating something that articulates the circumstances and challenges of these unprecedented times. Just Like That… was recorded in Sausalito, California, with an all-star band that included two longtime members of Raitt’s band, bassist James “Hutch” Hutchinson and drummer Ricky Fataar, as well as two new musicians, Canadian Glenn Patscha on keyboards and backing vocals and Nashville guitarist Kenny Greenberg. Her longtime [...]
