“Break-up record” is too reductive to describe Miranda Lambert’s The Weight of These Wings, but it’s a start. Though the country artist’s heart aches plenty in her first music after last year’s split from Blake …
December 16, 2016
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Stories by Ryo Miyauchi
Miranda Lambert needs two discs to bear The Weight of These Wings
Pageant Material by Kacey Musgraves
Despite her sweet melodies, Kacey Musgraves wrote about one bleak way of life on her 2013 record Same Trailer, Different Park. The record brought her Grammy awards and with them the pressure to be the …
July 24, 2015
Ariana Grande's My Everything
Pop singer Ariana Grande used her theater-kid talent to prove herself competent in her debut Yours Truly. Though her vocal chops were well represented, the singer played it too safe to impress. A year later, …
November 7, 2014
Lily Allen's Sheezus
After five years away from the spotlight, Lily Allen has a lot to catch up on. For her homecoming record, Sheezus, the U.K. pop star spends a good time getting reacquainted with the current pop …
July 18, 2014
Lykke Li's I Never Learn
Heartbreak once again plagues indie darling Lykke Li. Previously, the singer expanded her break-ups into a larger-than-life drama. For her new album, I Never Learn, she wastes no time on fancy tricks, instead keeping her …
May 23, 2014
Night Time, My Time, by Sky Ferreira
After several delays, starlet Sky Ferreira has released her debut. Ferreira gained popularity last year with her glossy single “Everything Is Embarrassing,” and the synth-pop singer/model/actress appears to have improved her songcraft with a new …
November 29, 2013
Haim's Days Are Gone
Meet Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim. The three sisters, along with drummer Dash Hutton, make up indie-pop band Haim (rhymes with “time”). Haim’s soft rock-meets-R&B sound got a nod to Fleetwood Mac by critics in …
October 12, 2013
She & Him: Volume 3
From the surface details, it may appear She & Him’s latest is a gloomy break-up record. Songsmith/multi-instrumentalist M. Ward incorporates more melodramatic string arrangements while Zooey Deschanel lyrically digs deeper into heartbreak. Compared to its …
July 19, 2013
Rilo Kiley's rkives
Indie darlings Rilo Kiley called an end to its decade-spanning run in 2011. For those still tuning in, the band has released rkives, an 18-track compilation full of unreleased tracks and demos. rkives spans the …
June 7, 2013
The Only Place, by Best Coast
Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast donned herself “Bratty B” in her rowdy yet sweet debut Crazy for You. She wrote catchy teen love songs that included her cat Snacks and a bunch of weed. But …
November 23, 2012