Chris Potter : Alive With Ghosts Today Review
by Steven Miller
If bluegrass is a tradition built on memory, then Live At The Legion is its muscle memory rendered audible. Captured live on April 7, 2024, at Nashville’s American Legion Post 82, this 20-track collaboration between Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton is a showcase of repertoire and its tradition of timing, tone, and touch.
Forget studio polish. This is the sound of two guitars, two voices, and two minds working in millisecond synchronicity. The stereo mix tells you everything you need to know: Strings panned left, Sutton right. It’s a gift to listeners who understand that flatpicking is more [...]
By Steven Miller
The metalcore scene has been eagerly anticipating Spiritbox’s latest full-length album, Tsunami Sea. The Canadian quartet has pushed their sound further, fusing their signature mix of ghostly atmospheres and heaviness with an increased willingness to experiment with textures. The result? An album that surges like its namesake, with a sonic ebb and flow that exhilarates and engages the listener.
Spiritbox consists of vocalist Courtney LaPlante, whose dynamic range transitions between clear melodies and guttural roars, and guitarist Mike Stringer, whose intricate riffing and atmospheric textures shape the band’s [...]
by Steven Miller
John Patitucci’s Spirit Fall is an album based on trio communication, a study of the freedom and responsibility of a chordless format, and what happens when three deeply intuitive musicians explore the boundless harmonic and rhythmic possibilities. Marking Patitucci’s debut as a leader on Edition Records, the album finds the bassist alongside long-standing collaborators Chris Potter (saxophones, bass clarinet) and Brian Blade (drums), exploring a set of nine Patitucci originals and one cover with remarkable spontaneity and depth.
Trio records that omit a chordal instrument come with a built-in challenge: how to create [...]
By Shannon Smith
Rebecca Black’s latest project, SALVATION, offers qualities that make it a compelling listen for pop music fans. Three things caught my ear: bold productions, relatable themes, and a successful artistic reinvention.
SALVATION is a feast for pop and dance-pop fans who thrive on genre-blending and adventurous production. While fundamentally a dance-pop record, it refuses to settle into a singular style. Instead, Black and her team draw on a wide range of influences, with each track having a distinct sonic identity.
She embraces club and rave elements fearlessly: “Sugar Water Cyanide” pulses with techno beats and [...]
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 [...]
