O is the remarkable must-hear debut album from Dublin-born dreamer and troubadour Damien Rice. Like compatriot David Kitt, Rice is evidently a major talent, one of a select breed of loosely-affiliated modernist folk artists for whom the words "traditional" and "singer-songwriter" are hindering terminological obstacles that need to be blown clean out the way for the sake of progress. Adorned ...
Never mind that Van Morrison is one of the most indelible songwriters of the 20th century--take each album on its own terms. On 1968's seminal Astral Weeks, a twentysomething Van Morrison can be found belting his gospelly, bluesy vocals in just as fine a form as he would be 20 years hence. In the sociopolitical context of the times, the album cried out about such ubiquitous 1960s themes as ...
One of the most striking debut albums ever released, this disc instantly established Chapman as a musical force, and with good reason. Immediacy, integrity of purpose and unqualified artistry are apparent in nearly every song. And while "Fast Cars" remains Chapman's best-known work, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" is that rarest breed: a song which is both topical and timeless. Any exploration ...