Your basket is empty

Categories:

Results 1 to 20 out of a total of 10682
From
HI-RES$23.19
CD$20.09

Tension

Kylie Minogue

Pop - Released September 22, 2023 | BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

Hi-Res
Queen Kylie Minogue's 2020 album, the bluntly titled Disco, was brilliantly lit by the glow of the disco ball. This time around, she's bringing an electro-pop strobe to the dance floor —and, at 55, proving age really doesn't mean anything. While Madonna has been spinning fruitlessly in search of reinvention, Minogue just keeps nailing trends and staying refreshingly relevant. "Padam Padam"—the onomatopoeic sound of a heartbeat—lives in a metallic echo chamber, carefully curated by producer Lostboy and decorated with an infectious snake-charmer chorus. "I'll be in your head all weekend," Minogue sings prophetically. "Tension" goes deep with '90s house keyboards and beats, and a robotic effect for Mingoue's sexy come-on, directing exactly how she wants to be handled by a lover—"Oh, my god/ Touch me right there/ Almost there/ touch me right there"—while also also making it clear she is completely in control: "I'm a star babe-babe-babe/ Do this all day-day-day/ Cool like sorbet-bet-bet." She works all her vocal tricks on tropical-vibe "One More Time": cooing, showing powerhouse strength, effortlessly hitting the high notes, sassing and whooping and sweating it. (Even though it's not a direct tribute, you can't help but be reminded by Daft Punk's monster hit of the same name.) "Green Light" is cool-breeze cafe pop with smooooooth jazz sax. "Things We Do for Love" delivers an energetic burst of euphoria with a shiny soap bubble of a bridge. "You Still Get Me High" fronts like a prom ballad before erupting into an emo-beat thriller, with wailing sax upping the adrenaline; it's like Kylie x Bleachers, and it's fun. "Hands" finds Minogue casually rapping and delighting in '90s girl-group R&B. "Vegas High" captures that city's cut-loose party vibe and is obviously a tie-in for her residency at the Venetian, which begins November 2023. But she makes up for that bit of cheesiness with "10 Out of 10,"  a goofy, giddy lark of a collaboration with Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens that delivers a Pet Shop Boys-style droll chorus: "Body, 10/ Touch, 10 / Energy, 10." Kylie: 10.  © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$22.79
CD$19.59

My Songs (Deluxe)

Sting

Pop - Released May 24, 2019 | A&M - Interscope Records

Hi-Res Booklet
“This is my life in Songs. Some of them reconstructed, some of them refitted, some of them reframed, and all of them with a contemporary focus.” That is the description of Sting’s latest record, making this more than just a collection of his biggest hits (either solo or with The Police). It was a particular kind of rhythm that he wanted to work in, so as to eliminate the ‘dated’ feel to some of his songs (according to Sting himself). More striking than the original, the drums of Demolition Man, If You Love Someone Set Them Free, Desert Rose and even Englishman in New York will take listeners by surprise. Regarding this famous tribute to gay icon Quentin Crisp, the song released in 1988 is seasoned by pizzicatos and a soprano sax solo.As for the other ballads, it’s more in the singer’s texture and vocal prowess that the reinvention is most noticeable. Less pure but more structured than before, Sting’s voice carries a new dimension in Fields of Gold and Fragile, two songs that also prove that the Englishman’s talent as a melodist has not aged a bit. The same goes for tracks taken from his Police years too, in particular Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon, as well as the ubiquitous Roxanne (presented here as a live version). © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$16.29
CD$14.09

Sweet Dreams

Eurythmics

Pop - Released January 21, 1983 | Sony Music CG

Hi-Res Distinctions The Qobuz Ideal Discography
Two chords on the synthesiser and everything is said! More than enough to recognise the singular sound of Eurythmics, the emblematic band from the 1980s. The tandem of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart symbolises perfectly this new synth-pop wave (pop in essence, futuristic in form) so typical of this decade during which guitars had almost become personae non-gratae… And while the British duo topped the charts during the entire decade, Sweet Dreams remains their greatest work. On the partition, Dave Stewart dabbled in a darker new wave, a-la Bowie (Love Is A Stranger) and dared venturing into “krautrock” light (Sweet Dreams). He could go funky (I’ve Got An Angel) or even disco (Wrap It Up). On vocals, Annie Lennox is impressive, as always, switching from soul to a bleak singing voice at will. A true classic! © Clotilde Maréchal/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$24.59
CD$21.09

Rebel Diamonds

The Killers

Alternative & Indie - Released December 8, 2023 | Island Records (The Island Def Jam Music Group / Universal Music)

Hi-Res
Back in 2003, Las Vegas quartet the Killers were just another young act pushing angular indie that revived post-punk and new wave sonics for a new generation, scoring a minor hit in England with a little song called "Mr. Brightside." Over in the U.S., it took over a year for another single, "Somebody Told Me," to edge its way onto the mainstream charts, peaking in late 2004 in a landscape that featured competition from acts like Hoobastank, Linkin Park, and Green Day. One could be forgiven for thinking they were just a flash in the pan, destined to fade away like so many of their early-aughts peers. However, two decades later, they had enough hits (and then some) to craft their second greatest-hits compilation, Rebel Diamonds. Celebrating 20 years with 20 songs, the collection showcases seven studio albums and a trio of stand-alone singles that have kept the Killers on the radio, in stadiums, and on international festival stages since the band's inception, surviving the times with enduring hits and beloved favorites. Building upon 2013's Direct Hits set, Rebel Diamonds retains most of that first decade's tracks (major differences being "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" replacing "Smile Like You Mean It" for Hot Fuss representation; "For Reasons Unknown" getting axed; and "Be Still" performing double duty in the Battle Born era instead of "Miss Atomic Bomb" and "The Way It Was"). These changes are welcome, giving "Jenny" and "Be Still" some much deserved attention in the face of their more-famous album siblings. The relative tumult of the Killers' uneven second decade can be seen on the back half. After a five-year gap between albums, they returned in 2017 with Wonderful Wonderful, which yielded the strutting Bowie tribute "The Man" but not much else. At this point, it had been half a decade since they had a hit, and the future seemed a little uncertain. So when 2020's Imploding the Mirage landed to a flood of critical acclaim and fan adoration, it was a welcome comeback that reestablished the group with rousing, anthemic gems such as "Caution," "My Own Soul's Warning," and "Dying Breed." Even 2021's subdued, Americana-leaning Pressure Machine -- which added more emotional depth to their catalog with some of Brandon Flowers' most engaging storytelling to date -- kept the revival going, culminating in a triumphant international tour that found them performing on some of the biggest stages to date. In a generous move, the Killers added three fresh tracks to the album, produced with longtime collaborator and Day & Age studio man Stuart Price. These infectious, '80s-indebted nu-wave nuggets stand tall as some of the band's best non-album tracks, echoing Erasure ("boy"), Pet Shop Boys and New Order ("Your Side of Town"), and even New Order by way of Underworld's "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" on "Spirit." Showing just how far Flowers, Dave Keuning, Ronnie Vannucci, Jr., and Mark Stoermer had come from just being stylish, Anglophile scenesters, Rebel Diamonds is a perfectly curated snapshot of two decades of indelible hits from one of the greatest American rock ambassadors of a generation.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo
From
HI-RES$21.09
CD$18.09

THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND

Bad Omens

Rock - Released February 25, 2022 | Sumerian Records

Hi-Res
"THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND is a record that redefines experimentation in modern metalcore." © TiVo
From
HI-RES$18.09
CD$15.69

Bluegrass

Willie Nelson

Country - Released September 15, 2023 | Legacy Recordings

Hi-Res
For what we are told is his 74th solo studio longplayer (well, who's counting?), the absolute force of nature that is Willie Nelson has chosen to revisit some of the best songs from his own catalog—including "On the Road Again," "Yesterday's Wine," "A Good Hearted Woman," and "Bloody Mary Morning"—and record them in a bluegrass vein. This infectious, high keening sound, bluegrass, coined and minted in the 1950s by Bill Monroe and friends in the hills of Kentucky, has always been more of a subtle influence on Nelson's own sound; his obvious earliest influence was the Western swing perfected by Bob Willis and his Texas Playboys. Monroe did perform at Live Aid in 1990 and once recorded a duet with Nelson, but this entire project seemed a bit out of left field upon its announcement. Thankfully, Bluegrass is nothing aside from a delightful surprise.With crisp production duties overseen by longtime producer Buddy Cannon, the band assembled here is a who's who of modern bluegrass: Ron Block (banjo), Josh Martin (acoustic guitar), Rob Ickes (dobro), Barry Bales (upright bass), Aubrey Haynie (fiddle), Dan Tyminski (mandolin), Seth Taylor (mandolin) and Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, gut string guitar). Curiously, Nelson made the album without one of his nearest and dearest companions. The record could be seen in part as a tribute to Nelson's longtime sideman, guitarist Jody Payne, who played with Nelson from 1973 until his death in 2013. He told AARP that it's the first album where he "didn't play 'Trigger' since I've had him," referring to the busted-up Martin N-20 acoustic guitar Nelson first got in 1969—as much a part of Willie Nelson's entire vibe as his long hair and wide smile. Because Nelson was reared on Western swing, one assumes that it would take more practice to shoehorn his jazzy, laconic style into these reworkings.What might be the sappy equivalent of those truckstop knockoff bluegrass tributes to individual artist records turns out to be a wonderful addition to Nelson's catalog. Bluegrass interpretations by well-known country stars continue to be successful, for as diverse an array as Dwight Yoakam, Dolly Parton, and Sturgill Simpson. And the music's resurgence sees no signs of slowing, thanks to such stalwarts as Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, and Railroad Earth. Nelson's entry, recorded just before his 90th birthday, will age well. As with Tony Bennett or Miles Davis at the end of their own careers, Nelson is clearly kept alive, and buoyantly so, by the power of his music, and his fans' devotion for it. © Mike McGonigal/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$24.59
CD$21.09

The Dream Of The Blue Turtles

Sting

Pop - Released January 1, 1985 | A&M

Hi-Res
The Police never really broke up, they just stopped working together -- largely because they just couldn't stand playing together anymore and partially because Sting was itching to establish himself as a serious musician/songwriter on his own terms. Anxious to shed the mantle of pop star, he camped out at Eddy Grant's studio, picked up the guitar, and raided Wynton Marsalis' band for his new combo -- thereby instantly consigning his solo debut, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, to the critical shorthand of Sting's jazz record. Which is partially true (that's probably the best name for the meandering instrumental title track), but that gives the impression that this is really risky music, when he did, after all, rely on musicians who, at that stage, were revivalists just developing their own style, and then had them jam on mock-jazz grooves -- or, in the case of Branford Marsalis, layer soprano sax lines on top of pop songs. This, however, is just the beginning of the pretensions layered throughout The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Only twice does he delve into straightforward love songs -- the lovely measured "Consider Me Gone" and the mournful closer, "Fortress Around Your Heart" -- preferring to consider love in the abstract ("If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," one of his greatest solo singles, and the childish, faux-reggae singalong "Love Is the Seventh Wave"), write about children in war and in coal mines, revive a Police tune about heroin, ponder whether "Russians love their children too," and wander the streets of New Orleans as the vampire Lestat. This is a serious-minded album, but it's undercut by its very approach -- the glossy fusion that coats the entire album, the occasional grabs at worldbeat, and studious lyrics seem less pretentious largely because they're overshadowed by such bewilderingly showy moves as adapting Prokofiev for "Russians" and calling upon Anne Rice for inspiration. And that's the problem with the record: with every measure, every verse, Sting cries out for the respect of a composer, not a pop star, and it gets to be a little overwhelming when taken as a whole. As a handful of individual cuts -- "Fortress," "Consider Me Gone," "If You Love Somebody," "Children's Crusade" -- he proves that he's subtler and craftier than his peers, but only when he reins in his desire to show the class how much he's learned.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
From
HI-RES$10.99
CD$9.09

Christmas at Home

The Puppini Sisters

Vocal Jazz - Released November 24, 2023 | Bart&Baker Music

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Qobuz Album of the Week
What is more magical than a Christmas album by a trio of female singers who execute close harmony to perfection? Briefly, close harmony is a singing technique in which the voices are very close to one another and remain confined to a single octave. In this regard, The Puppini Sisters are heiresses in a long and prestigious line of vocal music groups, the most famous undoubtedly being The Andrews Sisters, a trio who entertained Americans in the dark years of the 1940s. The Puppini Sisters took the same comforting approach when they conceived this album, recorded in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, or more precisely, during the 2020 holiday season. For Marcella Puppini, the group’s founder, this record, exclusively available on Qobuz, wasn’t solely about the music: “It was about reaching out and touching the hearts of our fans when they needed it the most. The joy we received in return was the best Christmas gift we could ask for.” Recorded in front of a live audience (reduced to follow safety measures) at Premises Studios in London, this album consists of classic, essential Christmas songs, from “Jingle Bells” to “Let It Snow”, “O Holy Night”, and many in between. Such a selection, paired with this vocal technique, inevitably immerses us into waters that are decidedly retro. The British trio revisits the past with sparkling enthusiasm, and sometimes, a touch of irony. To this end, the mischievous Puppini Sisters have also chosen more unexpected tracks, like George Michael’s “Last Christmas”, to which they bring a delightfully jazzy sensuality. They have also made sure to give a nod to Marcella’s Italian roots, covering “Ba Ba Baciami”, a bouncy foxtrot created in 1940 by Roman Alberto Rabagliati. Accompanied by a piano, an accordion, a bass, and, obviously, bells, The Puppini Sisters recreate the spirit of Christmas in all of its warmth, color, and joy. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$24.59
CD$21.09

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

Pop - Released July 6, 1971 | Island Def Jam

Hi-Res
Whereas most great live rock albums are about energy, At Fillmore East is like a great live jazz session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians' interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought the Allmans so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer Tom Dowd skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set The Fillmore Concerts), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present the Allmans in their best light, since even if the music isn't necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the group's terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist Duane and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
From
CD$16.89

GOLDEN

Jung Kook

K-Pop - Released November 3, 2023 | BIGHIT MUSIC

More than any of his BTS bandmates, Jung Kook has been primed for the greatest crossover potential with his debut solo album, Golden. Unlike the rap showcases of RM, Suga, and J-Hope or the focused genre forays from V, Jin, and Jimin, Golden takes aim at the mainstream sweet spot that swirls together funky beats, catchy melodies, and irresistible choruses. It doesn't hurt his prospects that everything is in English, either. Backed by producers such as BloodPop, Diplo, Andrew Watt, and Cirkut and songwriters like Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran, the LP also features rapper Jack Harlow on the bouncy, fun-loving "3D"; Major Lazer on the sensual, throbbing "Closer to You"; DJ Snake on the shimmering electronic dance anthem "Please Don't Change"; and Latto on the chart-conquering, record-breaking sex romp "Seven" (the edited version is also included). While the laundry list of A-list names attached to the project leaves little doubt that this has been custom-designed to make him an even bigger star, everything works so well because of Jung Kook's seasoned vocals and natural allure. Like Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles before him, it's quite clear that Jung Kook has been christened as his boy band's main breakout, and Golden makes a great case for that push.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo
From
HI-RES$9.09
CD$7.29

Daniel

Real Estate

Alternative & Indie - Released February 23, 2024 | Domino Recording Co

Hi-Res
Since their 2009 self-titled debut album, Real Estate have distinguished themselves as modern-day jangle-pop torchbearers. The New Jersey group retains that crown on the superlative Daniel, which overflows with crisp, economical pop-rock that often calls to mind the salad days of Fountains of Wayne. Chalk up this sound partly due to their influences—R.E.M.'s lush, moody Automatic for the People and the softer side of '90s rock—and the band's recording process. The members of Real Estate moved in together in Nashville and recorded Daniel in just nine days at the famed RCA Studio A with producer-songwriter Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour). Understandably, there's a hint of dusky Americana melancholy on the pedal steel-tinted "Haunted World" and the Scottish-pop-influenced "Flowers." However, Martin Courtney's keening vocals are particularly yearning on Daniel, lending buoyancy to the wiry "Say No More" and urgent "Airdrop," and underscoring the restlessness and uncertainty coursing through the lyrics. Jangle-pop has never sounded so fresh—and so irresistible. © Annie Zaleski/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$21.09
CD$18.09

Reckless

Bryan Adams

Pop - Released October 29, 1984 | A&M

Hi-Res
From
HI-RES$15.56
CD$12.45

Temptation

Chantal Chamberland

Jazz - Released September 13, 2019 | evosound

Hi-Res
From
HI-RES$18.09
CD$15.69

Whitney

Whitney Houston

R&B - Released January 1, 1987 | Arista - Legacy

Hi-Res Distinctions The Qobuz Ideal Discography
Whitney Houston became an international star with this album. It sold more than ten million copies around the world, yielded a string of number one hit singles across the board like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," and "Love Will Save the Day," and established Houston as the era's top female star. She later went on to more than solidify that status, with other hit albums and a budding film career. While this is a far cry from soul, it's the ultimate in polished, super-produced urban contemporary material.© Ron Wynn /TiVo
From
HI-RES$18.19
CD$15.79

New Gold Dream

Simple Minds

Rock - Released October 27, 2023 | BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited

Hi-Res
Following the 40th anniversary of Simple Minds' New Gold Dream in 2022, the group headed to the 12th century Paisley Abbey to pay tribute to the record. The one-off recording captures the band performing the album in full.© Rich Wilson /TiVo
From
HI-RES$13.29
CD$11.49

Music Of The Spheres

Coldplay

Alternative & Indie - Released October 15, 2021 | Parlophone UK

Hi-Res
During pandemic lockdown, some people baked bread, others took up fostering kittens. Chris Martin, apparently, watched Star Wars. The Coldplay frontman has said that the band's ninth album was partly inspired by the Mos Eisley cantina band and "wonder[ing] what musicians are like across the universe." And honestly, thank god we have a band big enough to be able to afford to take chances like Music of the Spheres, because the results are thrilling. After the spacy intro "Music of the Spheres," opener "Higher Power" is a flat-out dance track, powered by a punchy electro beat, and joyously uplifting. Martin has said "the song is about trying to find the astronaut in all of us, the person that can do amazing things." (Although, at one point, he sings "Drocer nekorb a ekil mi"—"I'm like a broken record" in reverse.) It's the first example of the album being a family affair, too, as Martin's daughter Apple delivers the opening lilt. She also has a co-write on "Let Somebody Go," a lovely piano ballad that finds Martin duetting with Selena Gomez; it takes a surprising turn on the bridge, slipping into smooth jazz. Apple's brother Moses joins in on the chorus of "Humankind" (with an altered Stephen Fry on the intro), a supercatchy and energetic collection of bleeps and bloops and "alien" voices, '80s synth and strident acoustic guitar that is going to be awesome to work out to. It's a bit of a throwback to the dance-pop sounds of bands like MGMT circa 2008. It won't surprise you here to find out the record is produced by Max Martin, the man behind slick hits from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and others. His polished style is a surprising complement to Martin's unpolished rasp and a major asset on songs like "My Universe," a collaboration with BTS performed in English and Korean that cruises a funky groove of ’80s FM pop; it's an earworm we'll all be stuck with for months. "People of the Pride" pushes Coldplay in a new, edgier direction—complete with ominous garage-rock guitar and an emo-pop stomp. Curiosity "Biutyful" warps the vocals to sound like a cutesy ET crooning a space-lounge melody. Twinkly "Infinity Sign" incorporates the soccer chant "Ole Ole Ole." The record closes out with one of the most wonderfully grandiose, swing-for-the-stars songs of Coldplay's career. Clocking in at 10 minutes, "Coloratura" is the band's The Dark Side of the Moon moment, weaving in a music box melody, fluttering strings, McCartney piano and spacey Gilmour guitars. It name-checks Galileo's discovery of the Callisto moon and declares,"It's the end of death and doubt and loneliness is out ... Coloratura, the place we dreamed about." (It will be great for planetarium laser shows.) Martin's voice cracks in all the right places, and the idea—"In the end it's all about the love you're sending out—is so elemental but expressed with such a sense of wonder about and gratitude for the universe, you can’t help but feel a sense of hope. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$15.74
CD$12.59

The Chicago Sessions

Rodney Crowell

Country - Released May 5, 2023 | New West Records, LLC

Hi-Res
Not as well-known as his frequent duet partner (and former employer) Emmylou Harris, nor as renowned as other Texas troubadours like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell remains a vitally creative forefather in the Americana scene. Crowell, who was also once Johnny Cash's son-in-law, found himself to be an ill fit for the mainstream country machine in the 1970s, but has remained open to new paths to creativity as evidenced by this collaboration with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Recorded at the Loft, the band's Chicago studio, these sessions are based on Crowell, who at 72 retains an expressive voice, playing it straight, most conspicuously on a lovely, respectful voice-and-acoustic guitar cover of Townes Van Zandt's "No Place to Fall." In the bluesy "Oh Miss Claudia" Crowell leans on his Houston heritage in a salute to his wife, singer Claudia Church. A collaboration with Ashley McBryde keeps Crowell in touch with the work of younger artists. And thanks to buzzy guitar, "Ever the Dark" lives in a convincing rock groove. Raised in the school of classic singer-songwriters, Crowell ends the album with "Ready to Move On," a summation of his current state of mind. As for Tweedy's influence, the melding of talents here works; he's a light but perceptible presence throughout and Crowell is too established as an artist to let anything change him or his art that dramatically. The recording is sharp, clear, and well-mixed. While their songwriting collaboration "Everything at Once," in which they swap vocal choruses is likable enough, it's in the version of "You're Supposed To Be Feeling Good" that the producer's influence is most audible.  Written by Crowell and featured on Emmylou Harris' 1976 Luxury Liner album when he was a member of her band, this "Wilco-ized" version features changed phrasings and chorus chords, and a more abrupt ending that gives it an overall sunnier hue.  None of these updates are outlandish or in bad taste but they do change the song's trajectory. It's a brave experiment many songwriters would never have had the confidence to try, and a nod to Crowell's continued relevance in the Americana conversation. © Robert Baird/Qobuz 
From
HI-RES$13.29
CD$11.49

99 Nights

Charlotte Cardin

Pop - Released August 25, 2023 | Atlantic Records

Hi-Res
The star of this second album from Charlotte Cardin (after Phoenix in 2021), is first and foremost the singer's voice: muted and nuanced, she’s comfortable with all styles, from the intimate ballad “Next to You” (dedicated to Montreal), to the sunny pop of “How High.” “The entire album is driven by the desire to be free. From our self-perceptions, our unrealistic ambitions, our own contradictions, from everything that stops us from taking a breath of fresh air,” reveals the singer from Quebec, who was discovered on The Voice in 2013. For her, it’s the dangers of an overdeveloped ego that can drive a person crazy, just like Andy Kaufman’s character in Milos Forman’s Man on the Moon. And it’s Jim Carrey, star of The Mask, who embodies the comedian lost in his multiple personalities, and whom Charlotte Cardin asks to marry her in one of the bravura pieces of 99 Nights (“Jim Carrey”). The topic of insanity is also brilliantly taken on in “Looping” (“Voices / Voices / Voices / In my head”) and “Confetti” (“Always been loud in a quiet way / I always feel alone in a crowded place”). To curb lurking madness, she invites us to dive into the intoxicating effects of freedom, like a puppy feeling the wind on its face by sticking its head out the car window (“Puppy”). In a mix of pop and rock, hip hop and electro, Charlotte Cardin has fashioned an album that suits her perfectly: both elusive and sensitive, sincere and lighthearted. ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz    
From
HI-RES$17.59$21.09(17%)
CD$15.09$18.09(17%)

Love Is Here To Stay

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall

Vocal Jazz - Released September 14, 2018 | Verve

Hi-Res
Two generations. Two styles. Two voices. And an album in common… For about twenty years, crooner Tony Bennett and singer and pianist Diana Krall had produced a few duos here and there, but never an entire album. With this Love Is Here To Stay, they jumped right in and involved another five-star tandem in their enchanted parenthesis of refined vocal jazz: George and Ira Gershwin. They went digging through the vast repertoire of the most famous brothers of 20th American popular music to create this album that seems from another time, produced with the trio of impeccable pianist Bill Charlap, Peter Washington on the double bass and Kenny Washington on drums… Tackling the Great American Songbook is always a redeeming and almost necessary baptism of fire for any worthy jazz singer. And these two didn’t wait for 2018 to do it. Here, each one excels in what they do best, even if, at 92 years of age, Tony Bennett obviously doesn’t have the same organ as he did when he sung I Left My Heart In San Francisco, which made him popular in 1962. Sinatra’s favourite singer knows it, and manages to find a range in line with his vocal condition. The result is particularly touching. A great professional, Diana Krall adapted her singing to the New Yorker, turning their exchanges into endearing, slightly retro flirting. The 38 years between them become the main asset of an old-fashioned yet delightful album. © Clotilde Maréchal/Qobuz
From
HI-RES$19.89
CD$17.19

Black Acid Soul

Lady Blackbird

Jazz - Released September 3, 2021 | BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

Hi-Res
Vocalist Marley Munroe (aka Lady Blackbird) evokes the maverick style of singer Nina Simone on her potent 2021 debut Black Acid Soul. Produced by Chris Seefried, Black Acid Soul is Munroe's first full-length album following a handful of singles and several years of studio work and live performing. Much like Simone, Munroe is blessed with a throaty, highly resonant voice that's well-suited to carrying a jazz standard, but which also fits nicely on dusky R&B ballads. Working with guitarist Seefried and an intimate ensemble of collaborators, including pianist Deron Johnson, bassist Jon Flaugher, and drummer Jimmy Paxson, Munroe finds a spellbinding balance between acoustic jazz and live small group soul. She underlines the Simone connection from the start, opening with a burnished take of the legendary singer's classic "Blackbird," conjuring a menacing, earthy sensuality that perfectly sets the tone for what is to come. Part of what made Simone's classic work of the '60s and '70s so intriguing was her ability to take a song from any genre and make it her own. Munroe has the same gift and displays it throughout, diving into an organ-tinged take on Reuben Bell's 1967 track "It's Not That Easy" and transforming Bill Evans' languid 1958 composition "Peace Piece" into a dreamily intoxicating tone poem called "Fix It." She even reworks the James Gang's 1969 "Collage" into a far-eyed modal number that draws equally from John Coltrane and the psychedelic band Love. While Lady Blackbird's distinct influences and love of Simone certainly drives much of Black Acid Soul, there's an immediacy and warmth to the album that feels all her own.© Matt Collar /TiVo