For the Record
Bob Marley - Legend
Island 50th Anniversary Special Edition. There are few musicians whose music has indisputably advanced humanity. Reggae figurehead Bob Marley--a songwriter, poet, activist, and visionary--is one of them. The idea that a single-disc collection could represent Marley's achievement's depth, breadth, and power is far-fetched, but LEGEND makes an excellent attempt. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, and the artist's different faces--revolutionary ("Get Up Stand Up"), romantic ("Is This Love"), devout Rastafarian ("Buffalo Soldier"), and prophet ("One Love/People Get Ready") are equally represented.
The Vapors - New Clear Day
The Vapors are an English new wave band who were initially active between 1978 and 1981. The group were spotted by Bruce Foxton of the Jam who went on to manage them alongside John Weller (father of Paul Weller) They rose to prominence with the release of their debut album New Clear Days which features their best-known track and international hit single 'Turning Japanese'. The songs on the album focus on prominent societal issues from the time including nuclear weapons, power stations and the generation gap.
Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings
Since 2004, Alter Bridge has been one of the most consistent bands to successfully represent the rock and metal communities with their driving melodies, blazing guitar riffs and topical lyrics that resonate with fans around the globe. Their seventh album, Pawns and Kings, continues that trend with 10 unforgettable new additions to their catalog.
Bonny Light Horseman - Rolling Golden Holy
Bonny Light Horseman's self-titled debut was a folk masterclass, reimagining centuries-old standards with effortless grace and wonder. Those Grammy-nominated, list- topping recordings not only suggested renewed possibilities for aging songbooks but also marked the arrival of a trio fully capable of reorienting the wider folk landscape. Still, if it felt at all like the work of some short-lived supergroup or a one-off diversion (it never was), Rolling Golden Holy rebuffs the notion with preternatural beauty and charm, and imagination. These songs, all originals, follow the paths of the traditional tunes the band cherishes to new frontiers, the sounds and situations of history given the gravity and shape of now. This is a band working at the edge of modern folk.
Train - AM Gold
Writing songs is hard. Not compared to so many things I suppose, but it's difficult to create something that you love and then other people love as well. Writing songs for two and a half years in front of video screens instead of being in the presence of other humans has been a long, strange trip. And now here we are," Train frontman Pat Monahan shares. "It has to start with love. Love that goes into work comes out of work. We love this album and our fans. Thank you for waiting so long for us. I think it was worth it. AM Gold! Here we go!
Lee Fields - Sentimental Fool
Lee Fields reunites with Daptone Records and producer Gabriel Roth to bring us Sentimental Fool, a deep, blues-tinged, wholly-conceived soul album. From his first line to his final plaintive lyric, the beauty, power, and raw humanity of Lee's voice is on full display here; the culmination of an astounding career that has seemed to defy gravity, rising to only greater and greater heights.