by Shannon Smith

In the still hours of the early morning, when the world softens and streetlights shimmer like distant memories, Biig Piig’s debut 11:11 arrives as a conflicted confession and celebration. The album’s title, a nod to the mystical “angel number,” suggests that every moment, every stray heartbeat, is part of a larger, unscripted narrative. Here, Jess Smyth unfolds a story of restless nights and fleeting clarity.

The record opens with “4AM,” where her signature whisper‑sung vocals float over a beat that mimics the slow pulse of a city in transition. It’s as if she’s confessing in the [...]

By Steven Miller

Legendary post-rock pioneers Mogwai have returned with The Bad Fire, an engaging album that captures their enduring ability to blend the ethereal with the explosive. Produced by John Congleton and released via Rock Action, this January 2025 release cements the band’s reputation for crafting immersive soundscapes that challenge and reward the listener in equal measure.

With three decades of sonic exploration under their belt, Mogwai’s evolution has been anything but linear. They’ve veered from ferocious guitar-driven instrumentals to moody soundtracks and even ventured into corrupted electronic realms. Their [...]

by Steven Miller

Juan Megna’s Mariwô is a vibrant celebration of Afro-Brazilian and Argentinian musical traditions, artfully blended with the improvisational language of modern jazz. The album’s seven tracks form a setting of intricate rhythms, melodic depth, and exceptional interplay between musicians. Megna’s artistic vision and technical mastery of these rhythmic melodies have a strong grounding in the Afro-diasporic influences of Candomblé and the emotive power of Argentinian forms like the chacarera and milonga. Mariwô transcends genres while staying deeply rooted in its cultural origins; this is world music with modern [...]

by Steven Miller

Bella Schütz’s Chiaroscuro is a compelling new Evidence Classics label project focusing on two towering figures in keyboard music history: Johann Sebastian Bach and Frédéric Chopin. The repertoire spans Bach’s Baroque explorations of stylus phantasticus and contrapuntal elegance and Chopin’s Romantic innovations in lyricism and harmonic daring. While these composers are separated by nearly a century, Schütz highlights their shared artistic pursuit of freedom, fantasy, and improvisation, as seen in pieces like Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue and Chopin’s Fantaisie in F Minor.

Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue [...]

by Shannon Smith

In her debut album, Louder, Please, Rose Gray presents a vibrant homage to the world of club culture and dance-pop to create a space where nostalgia and modernity intertwine. Gray’s roots in East London nightlife, with its primal pulse of heavy dance drums, the deliverance of crowded dance floors—infuse her music with a sense of the raw energy swirling in the crowd of gyrations. Clocking in at a sleek 41 minutes, the album is an exploration of Europop, acid house, and nu-disco, drawing inspiration from icons like Kylie Minogue and Robyn while carving out Gray’s distinct voice in a crowded dance-pop [...]

by Shannon Smith

Paul Kelly is one of those songwriters who moved beyond writing catchy songs. Instead, he paints vignettes of the human experience with his lyrics. With Fever Longing Still, the iconic singer-songwriter embraces a timeless rock ethos, blending poetic lyrics with melodies that strike the heart like a well-aimed arrow. The result is a record that is alive with unflinchingly honest, a testament to Kelly’s mastery of his craft.

The album opens with “Houndstooth Dress,” a vibrant and emotionally charged track that sets the tone for the entire record. It’s a bittersweet love song wrapped in [...]