Ken Tucker appears in the following:
Lydia Loveless Mixes Desire With Distraction In 'Real'
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
The singer-songwriter began performing at age 14 in a band with her sisters and her father. Critic Ken Tucker says the songs on Loveless' latest solo album, Real, have a "tough edge."
Earls Of Leicester Mix Bluegrass With Gospel And Honky-Tonk On 'Rattle & Roar'
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
The band, which began as a tribute to the The Foggy Mountain Boys, won a Grammy for their debut album in 2015. Critic Ken Tucker says the Earls' new record, Rattle & Roar, lives up to its title.
From Brexit To The U.S. Presidential Race, Musicians Respond To Political Turmoil
Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Critic Ken Tucker reviews new music by the British punk band The Mekons and the American country-rock band The Mavericks. Both groups have recorded new songs that were inspired by recent news events.
R&B Singer Maxwell Is Majestic — And Vulnerable — On 'blackSUMMERS'night'
Monday, July 25, 2016
Maxwell creates an atmosphere of free-floating sensuality on his new album. Critic Ken Tucker says the record is "dreamy and roomy enough to accommodate a wide array of emotions."
Mitski Creates A Heightened Remembrance Of Adolescence On 'Puberty 2'
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
The young singer-songwriter has described herself as "half-Japanese, half-American, but not fully either." Critic Ken Tucker says her fourth album, Puberty 2, has an impressively wide range of sounds.
Maren Morris Mixes Country, Pop And Hip-Hop On 'Hero'
Thursday, June 30, 2016
The singer-songwriter brings a fluid sense of musical boundaries to her first major-label album. Critic Ken Tucker says Hero features "very good, state-of-the-art pop country" music.
Margaret Glaspy Draws On 'Emotions And Math' For Her Debut Album
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Singer-songwriter Glaspy plays a variety of instruments, but concentrates mainly on guitar on her new album. Critic Ken Tucker says Emotions and Math blends complexity with "deceptive directness."
William Bell Sings With Strength And Directness On 'This Is Where I Live'
Thursday, June 09, 2016
Bell, who had his first hit in 1961 with the song "You Don't Miss Your Water," brings his trademark compassion and tenderness to his new album. Critic Ken Tucker calls This Is Where I Live a triumph.
Paul Simon Mixes Music And Mystery On 'Stranger To Stranger'
Thursday, June 02, 2016
Simon blends his trademark wordplay with unique rhythms and exotic instruments on his new album. Critic Ken Tucker calls it a daring record that can be appreciated on a number of levels.
Little Scream Casts A Dreamy Spell With 'Cult Following'
Monday, May 23, 2016
Musician Laurel Sprengelmeyer — aka Little Scream — refers to prayer, devotion, heaven and Satan on her new album. Critic Ken Tucker calls Cult Following a "testament to desire and endurance."
Car Seat Headrest Is Gloriously Morose In 'Teens of Denial'
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Will Toledo, the singer-songwriter who performs under the name Car Seat Headrest, is ambitious and passionate on his new album. Critic Ken Tucker says the record will make you want to sing along.
Beyoncé Is 'At The Height Of Her Powers' In 'Lemonade'
Thursday, May 05, 2016
The pop star's latest release extols the potency of black womanhood in the roles of mother, wife, lover and artist. Rock critic Ken Tucker calls Lemonade a feat of "invention and imagination."
Sturgill Simpson Moves Into Uncharted Waters In 'A Sailor's Guide to Earth'
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Rock critic Ken Tucker says Simpson deepens his range and reconnects country to R&B on his new record, a concept album about becoming a father.
Remembering Legendary Musician Prince, A 'Strikingly Original' Icon
Friday, April 22, 2016
Rock critic Ken Tucker says Prince, the singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who died yesterday at his home in Minnesota, was "the most inventive and prolific pop musician of his generation."
Peter Wolf's 'Cure for Loneliness'? Music With An Undercurrent Of Melancholy
Monday, April 18, 2016
The former lead singer for the J. Geils Band has been making albums on his own since the mid-1980s. Reviewer Ken Tucker says his latest is one of the most varied collections Wolf has ever recorded.
Robbie Fulks Sings His Way Home In 'Upland Stories'
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
The raucous singer turns thoughtful on his new album. Critic Ken Tucker calls Upland Stories a "marvelous mongrel mixture" of bluegrass banjo-picking, honky-tonk pedal steel and stark folk phrasings.
At 83, 'Songwriter-Singer' Loretta Lynn Comes 'Full Circle'
Friday, March 18, 2016
The country music legend's new album mixes original material with interpretations of country classics. Reviewer Ken Tucker says the record shows a vulnerability that is somewhat new to Lynn's music.
Lucius Layers Harmonies With Emotion In 'Good Grief'
Monday, March 14, 2016
The surging voices of two female lead singers create the signature sound of the five-piece band Lucius. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the band's new album, Good Grief, is often lovely and well-crafted.
Waco Brothers Mix Country And Punk On 'Going Down In History'
Thursday, March 03, 2016
The Waco Brothers recently released their first album of original material in more than a decade. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the music on Going Down in History is "urgent, precise and pointed."
Bonnie Raitt Explores Her Roots In 'Dig In Deep'
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Raitt's new album is dominated by uptempo songs, R&B sounds and complex emotions. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the singer's distinctive style gives Dig In Deep a "vital glow."