Ken Tucker
Bob Dylan's 'Rough And Rowdy Ways' Breathes, Expands And Contracts
The good songs on Dylan's latest record inflate with interest; the mediocre songs start to shrink and slink away. And there's a striking amount of upbeat rhythm & blues on the album.
LA Punk Band X Returns With Go-For-Broke Urgency In 'Alphabetland'
X's first album 35 years takes its place alongside the best work they've ever done. The music on Alphabetland is the sound of X snatching back its past in order to fuel the music of its future.
With 'Future Nostalgia,' Dua Lipa Reminds Us How To Feel Care-Free
The pop singer's smart and snappy second album is a '70s and '80s disco throwback. The record immediately stands out from nearly all current popular music for its sheer, bursting joyfulness.
A Salute To John Prine, A Meticulous Craftsman With A Gift For Detail
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, who died April 7, took a journeyman's pride in unifying metaphor and metrical precision. Prine's eccentric music served him — and us — well for five decades.
K-Pop Band BTS Proves Its Skill And Influence On 'Map Of The Soul: 7'
BTS' new record features songs that vary from grandly dramatic to impishly playful. The album's been a near-instant hit, selling over 2 million copies in its first two hours of release in South Korea.
Best Coast Achieves A New, More Poignant Power On 'Almost Tomorrow'
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bethany Cosentino opens up about sobriety on a propulsive new album with musical partner Bobb Bruno. Almost Tomorrow is Best Coast's first record in five years.
'Royal Albert Hall' Album Captures Bryan Ferry In All His Contradictory Glory
Best known as the lead singer for Roxy Music, Ferry released two solo albums in the '70s filled with covers. A marvelous new concert album features Ferry performing many of these songs live.
John Moreland Brings Back The Old Fashioned Idea Of The Album With 'LP5'
The Tulsa, Okla.,-based singer-songwriter has a reputation for writing superb sad songs, but his new record shows a wider range of emotions, with novelistic details in the lyrics.