Katy Perry Stumbles on Her Latest Album ‘143’
Katy Perry’s 143 sounds out of step with current pop, and there isn’t much here that is so eccentric and creative to justify the album’s relative mediocrity.
capitol records
Maggie Rogers Turns Inward on ‘Don’t Forget Me’
Maggie Rogers’ latest album, Don’t Forget Me, is a soft and breezy return to the musician we met on her debut studio effort Heard It in a Past Life.
Troye Sivan’s ‘Something to Give Each Other’ Is Lost in Itself
Troye Sivan’s new album falls short of its own standards, set high by the success of its predecessor and is lost in its ecstasy and provocative imagination.
Jenny Lewis Lets Loose on Excellent, Raw ‘Joy’all’
Jenny Lewis has never sounded like she’s had more fun making music than she does on Joy’all. It’s haunting, inspiring, and uniquely complicated.
Tearing Down the Fence Between Lisa Germano and ‘Happiness’
With 1993’s Happiness, Capitol Records tried to sit Lisa Germano on a fence between Americana and alternative. With 1994’s Happiness, 4AD Records dismantled the fence.
Halsey Offers Stellar Work Despite Iffy Production on New Album
Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power contains enough magic to be infectious. It’s an ambitious work by an artist exploring aesthetic possibilities.
Barry Gibb Re-Visits Bee Gees Classics with Superproducer Dave Cobb
Barry Gibb went to Nashville to make a country record of Bee Gees classics with Americana producer Dave Cobb. The result is Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1.
Between the Grooves: The Beach Boys – ‘The Beach Boys Today!’
The Beach Boys Today! is an often overlooked gem in the band's catalog. We dive into each track and discover how they fit into the Beach Boys' musical growth, while also examining the recording process and release history.
Katy Perry Struggles to Get Out of Her Head on ‘Smile’
Think of Smile as Katy Perry doing the work to (eventually) get her groove back: she's recharging. Smile plays like a necessary centering exercise, indulging her insecurities and less surefire instincts.
‘Run-Out Groove’ Shows the Dark Side of Capitol Records
Music promoter Dave Morrell's memoir, Run Out Groove, recalls the underbelly of the mainstream music industry.
Halsey’s ‘Manic’ As a Genre-Bending Force
On her third studio album Manic, Halsey peels away the layers and exposes the woman behind the persona.
Ready for Her Cue: An Interview with Soul Legend Valerie Simpson
With dazzle, flair, and "all that jazz", Songwriters Hall of Fame legend Valerie Simpson makes her Broadway debut as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago: The Musical.