American Songwriter's Scores

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For 1,819 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 50% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 Rockstar
Lowest review score: 20 Dancing Backward in High Heels
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,462 out of 1819
  2. Mixed: 353 out of 1819
  3. Negative: 4 out of 1819
1819 music reviews
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    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Morrison Hotel [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
    Even completists might quibble with the fact that several of these bonus tracks appear to overlap those on the previous edition. The fact that two additional covers are included — a loose cover of “Money,” expanded from the 40th anniversary extra, and an extended read of “Rock Me Baby,” each well in keeping with the blues motif that encompassed the album overall — may be cause for persuasion, although certainly not on their own
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Sun is Shining Down
    There aren’t many musicians of Mayall’s advanced years still recording new music and fewer still sounding this energetic and dynamic. It’s not his finest work, but fans won’t come away disappointed either.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    No More Worlds to Conquer
    His quality control remains in place though which makes No More Worlds to Conquer another absorbing, if maybe not essential, entry into a bulging catalog that has remarkably few missteps.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Big Talk
    Nothing breaks four minutes with each selection displaying not just catchy, crisp hooks but production (by him) that captures these songs with a sneaky sheen and rather slick polish. He is most convincing though when the music shifts towards a tougher gospel/swamp vibe as on the self-referential “Take a Long Hard Look.”
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO
    The one-woman production preserves Lynne’s style yet dials down the theatrics to not quite garage band levels, making it one of the most successful outings in her ongoing covers project series.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Open Door Policy
    Expressed from a first person point of view, the music comes across with a sense of unease, urgency and uncertainty, which, in turn, boosts both interest and intrigue. Clearly, The Hold Steady are intent on burrowing below the surface in their pursuit of principle and propriety.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    South of Reality
    No one makes music quite like this pair. If Frank Zappa took drugs, this might be the result. The more you listen, the more you hear and if ever there was an album perfect for listening with headphones and the lights out, this is it.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Christmas Everywhere
    his is not the album to play when trimming your tree, unless your family is as dysfunctional as the characters that populate most of these songs. But it’s one that will resonate for months after the last present is unwrapped.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Painkillers
    An album of songs built to linger and last.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Promise of a Brand New Day
    It’s another remarkably strong and mature entry in a sturdy body of work that hasn’t shown any missteps yet.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Nude Party
    This feels like the band’s fifth album, not their first, and that’s an enormous compliment. They blow the roof off but do it with style and class, nodding to the past without slavishly imitating it.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Made Of Rain
    Replacing some ballads with more upbeat selections would help this disc’s flow; it gets slightly repetitious over its 50-minute playing time. Regardless, there are enough resilient moments to make this a welcome, if long overdue, addition to the group’s impressive catalog. Hopefully it won’t take another three decades for its follow-up.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Pageant Material
    Every pretty melody, every sweet-tart lyric, every vocal and instrumental flourish... they definitely earn her--to borrow a title-song reference--a 4.0.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kids In The Street
    Justin Townes Earle pulls off the feat quite nicely on Kids In The Street, demonstrating impressive versatility without getting tripped up by any single stylistic detour.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Desire Lines
    There aren’t many groups whose fifth album is as riveting as their first, but there also aren’t many groups with a vision as clear, focused and defined as that of Camera Obscura. And with Campbell at the helm, five more of the same will be just as welcome.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Young Sick Camellia
    A band this large is best when they don’t overthink the arrangements and just groove, something you wish would happen more often on this impressive if occasionally strained release.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Bit of Previous
    “If They’re Shooting at You,” “Deathbed of my Dreams,” “Do It for Your Country” and “Prophets On Hold” manifest as engaging and affecting ballads, sweetly suggestive and instantly engaging.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Nihilist
    All in all, The Nihilist allows Finn to stretch out and explore his ambitions on a scale that dwarfs anything he has released to this point.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shadow People
    While the dizzying array of sounds The Limiñanas fuse into their splendidly unique final product might make it seem like the mess you get throwing these against the wall, it works unusually well. And at a relatively compact 40 minutes, you’ll find yourself wanting more of wherever this came from.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Edge of the Sun
    It’s a cohesive and complete statement, one of Calexico’s best yet.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Honeymoon
    Honeymoon isn’t quite as fine as Ultraviolence, but that’s less an indictment of the new album than high praise of the older one, which feels like an immediate classic. In any case, Del Rey’s rollercoaster of a career seems to have steadied on an impressively high level.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Haden Triplets
    Overall the Haden Triplets don’t bring enough of anything special to these songs to make the album an overall success.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lately
    It marks a certain maturity that underscores Hiatt’s authenticity as both an artist and individual, and the strength she possesses when it comes to propelling that presence forward.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Bloom
    The impact of Bloom lingers long after Scally's last guitar moan and Legrand's last breathy sigh, making you want to cue it up all over again and wallow anew in Beach House's existential abyss.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Several Shades of Why
    Even without his electric axe (and accompanying pedal board and crater of Marshall stacks) Mascis is still a virtuso.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Here's To Taking It Easy
    Here's To Taking It Easy stands as a triumphant proclamation of Phosphorescent's ongoing ability to provide quality heartbreaking Americana.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Phantom Radio
    There are no wasted moments, let alone throwaways on this superbly sequenced 40 minute disc. Every track glistens with Lanegan’s emotional and expressive words, perfectly sung with just the right balance of ennui and intensity.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Hey Clockface
    It might also be argued that Hey Clockface is Costello’s attempt to redefine himself as a more mature performer, one cognizant of the fact that he has an aging audience seeking subtlety and sentiment. Indeed, as the title suggests, time is ticking away, ensuring relevance becomes more a priority than rambunctiousness.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    My Way Home
    By shifting back to his roots, Eli Paperboy Reed swings into the future for his most direct, honest and propulsive set yet.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Storm Damage
    Storm Damage is generally a difficult scenario to weather, in more ways than one. Happily then, Ben Watt proves he’s got the desire and determination to see the situation through.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!
    It’s an interstellar pop journey well worth taking.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    How Do You Do
    His vocals are slightly generic yet the songs are solid and when he shifts into falsetto, you'll take a time trip back to the 60s heyday of this sumptuous and frisky R&B that moves from the dance floor to the bedroom.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Low Highway
    The good news is that this one is so powerful and varied that it will make those hard truths a little easier to bear even after the disc ends.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Brand New Day
    There’s nothing “brand new” about the Mavericks’ music; yet in this era of by-the-numbers, narrowly pigeon-holed playing, the group’s inclusive, adventurous vision is refreshingly unconventional and truly alternative.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    English Oceans
    These guys clearly know their roots, and English Oceans is all about getting back to where they came from.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Strong Feelings
    There’s something rich and nourishing about it. And that’s true of all of Doug Paisley’s music, which is strong on melody and comes from a place of genuine emotion. Whatever you choose to call it, music like this is universal.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Waterfall
    One of the band’s finest and most alluring offerings to date.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Country Sleep
    It would be a fully-formed debut for artists of any age. So it’s all the more impressive that Yellen is only 23 years old.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Things That Can't Be Undone
    Cobb’s touch could use a little more grit overall, but Lund delivers an enjoyable romp that gets points on diversity. The album displays his impressive lyrical skills and enough sparks that could catch fire in tougher live versions propelled by rowdy crowds and concert electricity.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Cayamo Sessions at Sea
    It’s hard to shake the nagging notion that this hews too closely to a classy, not-so-subtle advertisement enticing more customers onto future trips. Despite those reservations (pun intended), there is enough wonderful music here for even landlubbing Americana fans to enjoy.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Somewhere Under the Rainbow 1973
    The sound is of bootleg quality, with audience comments and an occasional cough evident in the mix. Nevertheless, given the set list that’s spread out over the two discs, it does make for a worthy archival addition.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I Used To Be Pretty
    If the first 45 minutes don’t convince you this is the best garage rock album in years, then the closing 13-minute epic “Ghost Cave Lament,” one of two new tunes, will seal the deal.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Lust for Life
    The optimism of Lust For Life is a pleasant surprise, though the album is still painted in the same shades as Del Rey’s previous releases. At times it’s some of her best material, but it seems like a record best experienced in pieces than as a proper whole.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Black Pumas
    The 10 tunes fly by in the fastest 40 minutes of your life. No need to pick and choose favorites either, because there’s little filler on a debut that knows the approach it wants and nails it with graceful professionalism and buckets of passion.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Among the Ghosts
    Based on Among The Ghosts, the band sounds tighter, more intuitive and incisive than when they started in 1998.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    For the Sake of Bethel Woods
    It takes a few spins for the tunes to register as some seem more like provocative set pieces than songs. But once they do, the thoughtful lyrics and sometimes diffuse sonics kick in.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Most Messed Up
    A rollicking set that nearly two decades in, stands as some of the Old 97’s finest and most exhilarating music.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Thing Called Divine Fits
    This is a striking, exciting debut crafted with a confident, crackling urgency that makes this music leap out of the speakers.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Paging Mr. Proust
    With or without Olson, the Jayhawks remain one of the lynchpins of Americana, a position they proudly solidify on the impressive Paging Mr. Proust.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Bad Mouthin'
    No one breaks much of a sweat here. White’s distinctive mumble seems like it was recorded while drifting in and out of a narcotic-induced coma. Nevertheless, this music resonates with the dark, ominous, rootsy authenticity Tony Joe White has always exuded.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Painted Image
    It’s still early in 2019, but with the striking, often churchy Painted Image, the half-Dominican/half-Italian southerner Liz Brasher sketches a claim as a breakout Americana soul-singer with crossover potential.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blues With Friends
    The “friends” may bring more eyeballs, but Dion matches and even surpasses them on these fiery blues originals which, considering the stars involved, is an impressive achievement.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Catspaw
    Matthew Sweet is a journeyman musician whose impressive resume speaks for itself. On the nearly solo Catspaw though, his insistence on being a one-man-band, seemingly dismissing input for songs and especially production, would benefit from other objective ears.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Jump for Joy
    Louris is nothing if not a master of melody and nuance, and his articulate arrangements make this album an utterly engaging experience from start to finish. The music is melodic and unfettered, and that’s cause enough to consider the fact that Jump for Joy actually lives up to its title.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Triage
    Here again, honesty and integrity are the hallmarks of Crowell’s creative urges, and while Triage may seem quietly confrontational, his methods show concern as well as compassion. Credit Crowell for ensuring that honesty and humanity are imbued with equal emphasis.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Roadkill Rising - The Bootleg Collection: 1977-2009
    His charmingly loony and unpredictable qualities are plenty evident over the course of these five hours of music and often unhinged patter. Sound quality varies of course, with the dodgiest not surprisingly on the late 70s tracks, but when you're dealing with this type of raw power, pristine audio is almost a detriment.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    From Capelton Hill
    At its essence, From Capelton Hill is an album that’s literally brimming over with unceasing delights, making it not only an exceptional comeback but what can justifiably be called, Stars’ album for the ages.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Love from London
    Put aside the historical perspective and just listen to Love From London. From the opening, minor-key piano strikes and repetitive swirls of opening track “Harry’s Song,” Hitchcock catches you--leaves you breathless--with his ability to compel.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Terror
    The Flaming Lips return with one of their most challenging, yet cohesive records to date.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Ryan Adams
    Ryan Adams as an album might not be uplifting but it sure is outstanding, reaffirming the singular talent of its namesake.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tomorrow Forever
    Like most double albums, this one could do with some judicious editing. It’s a logical reason to bring in an outside ear which, with multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Sweet credited as producer, engineer and mixer, hasn’t happened here. Regardless, Sweet fans who are a bit of a cult at this stage, will rejoice with this reflective new music.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert [Live]
    As a one-off project, this is an enjoyable romp, especially for Cat Power fans. Chan Marshall applies her stamp on material she loves, the live atmosphere enhances the enthusiasm, the audio is crisp and the show successfully accomplishes what it sets out to do. But it’s no replacement for the real thing.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    I Can't Imagine
    Everything here captures the classy, sometimes sassy and always heartfelt essence that makes Shelby Lynne one of her generation’s most passionate and determined voices.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dream Attic
    If Dream Attic is any indication, recording studios may soon be as irrelevant to Richard Thompson's career as big record companies are.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Undivided Heart & Soul
    The revised sound and songwriting on Undivided Heart & Soul isn’t an extreme enough alteration to alienate existing McPherson fans, but it results in his finest set yet and signals that he’s pushing boundaries and staying fresh in a business that doesn’t embrace change.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fossils
    It’s a terrific and enriching listen, especially with headphones, where the singer’s supple voice and imaginative lyrics along with Martine’s sympathetic production dovetail with an effortless grace.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Push Any Button
    Unlike other singer/songwriters, she consistently pushes her and her audience’s boundaries with music that’s as catchy as it is intriguing and idiosyncratic.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Private World of Paradise
    Everything here is painted in varying shades of gloom and lit by flickering candle flame, but every now and then, illuminates something quite gorgeous.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Carousel One
    It’s another pretty great Ron Sexsmith album.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Southern Surreal
    This is the Shack Shakers as we know them with every sweaty, caffeinated concert and rollicking disc bringing the group closer to the “legendary” status flaunted even before their first release.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Live at Berkeley 1971
    It’s an inspired performance. Stills is in fine form, vocally, on guitar, banjo (a searing “Know You’ve Got to Run,” a precursor to Déjà Vu’s “Everybody I Love You”) and even pounding the piano for a ragged but committed mash-up of “49 Bye Byes” and the Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Jubilee
    Jubilee is everything one might expect from an Old Crow album, that same combination of depth and delight that’s made them a bastion of bluegrass and Americana icons.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Liberty
    Whether you absorb it in bite-size pieces or jump into the 51-minute deep end of the pool while reading the lyrics, this superb and challenging album can be appreciated and enjoyed on a variety of levels.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Alone
    Chrissy Hynde remains a powerful and iconic presence. We should be thankful she’s still at it and recording music as impressive and distinctive as Alone.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
    Womack is in terrific voice throughout, the songs--including her co-writes--are top notch and with Lidell’s sympathetic backing and production, it’s hard to imagine how anything could be improved. It’s a late-breaking short list nominee for 2017’s album of the year.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Weirdo Shrine
    At 11 tracks that clock in just over half an hour, it’s done too quickly. But we spend just enough time in La Luz’s nocturnal surf world to push repeat and return again, an action the best albums always provoke.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
    He’s one of America’s most unique and unusual artists, exemplified by this original and compelling release.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    En Är För Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog
    Granted, En Är För Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog isn’t the kind of album that aims for accessibility. Nor is it a set of songs that will invite the unsuspecting to simply hum along. However, for those that are up for a more adventurous interlude, it’s nothing less than an intriguing endeavor all around.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Waterfall II
    If this sounds musically dour, it’s not. My Morning Jacket is just too solid of a unit to get dragged under musically by James’ brooding musings. He never loses his strong melodic sense and is always ready to bring a retro-styled 70s soul vibe to the table.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Chief
    Now a husband and soon-to-be father, you might expect Church to express that serenity and joy in songs about married bliss. Not here, where he prefers to sing of bruised heart and booze-filled adventures, even better fodder for his gnarled drawl
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Impossible Dream
    Occasionally the sound can get a bit monochromatic. But co-producer/multi-instrumentalist Jacob Hanson keeps Bonar’s voice--similar to that of Britta Phillips--up front. And these songs are so powerfully melodic, it’s difficult not to get swept into the world of an artist who is more than ready for her time in the spotlight.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Binary
    DiFranco stretches musical muscles to stay inspired on Binary. She continues to speak her mind with the pride, ferocity and integrity that has shaped an impressively rebellious career.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Even In The Tremor
    Lady Lamb and producer Erin Tonkon keep the sonic landscape busy and surprising, even on the quieter numbers. They also aren’t afraid to go for heartwarming, which is something you might not associate with the indie-rock genre.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Love Letter
    After a listen to Love Letter, it's clear that only a true maestro can pull off a line like that. Let's leave such proclamations to the man himself.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Fool
    While able to raise the hair on the back of your neck, The Fool, like many monstrous creations, sometimes lacks the necessary intelligence to be fully alive.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Signed and Sealed in Blood
    Signed and Sealed In Blood is a record that should thrill the diehards even as the band evolves and escapes enslavement to the sound of their past success.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Haven't Got the Blues (Yet)
    Ultimately it’s another pretty great Loudon Wainwright lll release, not significantly different from its many predecessors, which will no doubt come as a relief to those cult fans who have followed his career for the past 45 years.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    By Blood
    Although the style is more Knitters than X, the rawness to these tunes makes Shovels & Rope seem like ornery, indie folk-rockers.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Bluegrass
    In the end, the LP is something you can put on at a party to get the feet flying and the shirt-tails waving. It’s also perfect for a Saturday drive down the highway, sunshine on your sunglassed face. Or it’s an album to put on with your morning coffee to equally parse and appreciate openly.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Voyager
    The Voyager, however, is Lewis’ most cohesive and powerful set of songs since her Rilo Kiley days.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    No Gods No Masters
    The heightened level of fury and overall frustration about the state of society is admirable. Some might say there is not enough of it in today’s music. But that needs to be balanced with songs which beckon you back for another listen, an aspect of the confrontational No Gods No Monsters that too often falls short.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lighthouse
    The songs aren’t easily digestible but, as he winds into the final stages of his life, they are honest, intricate, personal and above all, uniquely the work of David Crosby.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
    These songs evoke images and conjure emotions that are as descriptive and riveting as any printed word.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Cult Following
    Lyrically, the concepts are obtuse and diffuse, but with all the effort Little Scream and co-producer/multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed put into the soundscape, it’s likely there are some intriguing concepts here, if you can untangle them.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Uniform Distortion
    There are enough artistic twists and turns to please even the most dedicated Jacket fan, showing that James remains as musically edgy as ever on an album that pulses with energy, enthusiasm and the restless spirit James has always personified.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    All Eternals Deck
    On his latest group of twisted tales, All Eternals Deck, Darnielle rocks between dainty ballads, expertly buttered up with lush string arrangements ("Age of Kings" and "Outer Scorpion Squadron") and hardcore lite/acoust-o-punk ("Estate Sale Sign" and "Prowl Great Cain").
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Hate for Sale
    These songs have the crackling energy and throbbing passion of the finest Pretenders music.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Queens of the Summer Hotel
    Expressive and emotive, it’s a work that finds delicacy and diligence operating on equal footing.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shame, Shame
    Shame, Shame is both a more focused and lyrically mature effort without forgoing any of the band's rambling pop charm.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Blonde on the Tracks
    Even though there’s little definitive here–Swift and Sansone’s approach to these Dylan chestnuts is more toned down than you might expect or anticipate– it’s a generally successful, instantly likeable meeting of voice, production and of course songs.
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