Three Citizen Critics Review Noteworthy Recent Albums — New York Magazine

Lily Allen’s ‘Alright, Still’ – The Shins’ ‘Wincing the Night Away’ – Lucinda Williams’ ‘West’ – Of Montreal’s ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?’ – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s ‘Some Loud Thunder’

Just a little non-baseball selfpromotion. Notice, by the way, the love for the new Lucinda Williams disk, which the NY Times and New Yorker have ripped in recent days. They’re wrong. I’m right.

4 thoughts on “Three Citizen Critics Review Noteworthy Recent Albums — New York Magazine”

  1. FWIW, All Music loves West…calling it her “magnum opus” and “flawless…destined to become a classic.”

    Since I have all of her other CD’s, I might as well take your word for it Peter and go get me a copy.

  2. By the way, about those drawings..why is it that Jos and Sarah look defiant and confident with their arms crossed, but you look like you’ve just been punched in the gut?

    Tell James Taylor you need a more striking pose.

  3. I hope you’re happy with West. I think it’s daring work on the personal level and it sounds gorgeous, especially when cranked to the breaking point. I’m not sure it’s flawless. There’re a few too many really slow songs, and that nine minute rant—though I personally love listening to it—is a bit of an indulgence. I wouldn’t expect someone who was invested in Williams as an artist to get into it.

    But that’s nitpicking. Williams is a major artist. A poet. A heckuva songwriter. She and Steve Earle, for better or worse, practically invented that Americana radio format, which in some ways was just an excuse to find airtime for them.

    West is really interesting work even if you don’t like it, which is what makes those thoughtless reviews in the New Yorker and NY Times so disappointing.

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