It’s only February. Just yesterday, Groundhog Day, I went surfing and busted my shin on a piece of submerged ice. I went home and listened to a new Steve Poltz album. Life is good, folks. […]
Category: Music Reviews
Album and song reviews
Mon Rovîa’s ‘Bloodline’ Is Written With Heart
Mon Rovîa, the Liberian-born, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter, invites listeners into his origin story on his debut album, “Bloodline.”  Released Jan. 9, 2026, via Nettwerk Music Group, “Bloodline” is a 16-track, 42-minute project that moves like […]
Top 25 Albums of 2025
Every year, I try to narrow things down. Every year, I fail — and honestly, I’m OK with that. These are the albums that stuck with me in 2025, the records I kept coming back […]
Rhett Miller Faces the Music on ‘A Lifetime of Riding by Night’
What would you do if you knew there was a chance you couldn’t continue a career you’ve loved for the past 35-plus years? That’s exactly what singer-songwriter Rhett Miller faced when he recorded “A Lifetime […]
Wednesday Cuts Deep on ‘Bleeds’
I’ve always loved music that carries a sense of heaviness. I still remember listening to “White Room” by Cream on a cassette tape in my dad’s truck and how the music seemed to cover me […]
The Swell Season Moves ‘Forward’ With Heart After 16-year Break
I’ve been feeling quite nostalgic lately. Call it old age—having recently turned 40—or whatever, but I’ve been remembering the past fondly. In 2006, during my senior year of college, back when I read Filter magazine […]
Haim Finds Freedom in Heartache on ‘I Quit’
Este, Danielle and Alana Haim have been my summer friends since I was introduced to them in 2017. It was just before I heard “Want You Back,” the first single from Haim’s second album, which […]
Ben Kweller’s ‘Cover the Mirrors’ Turns Grief Into a Triumphant Return
I’ve been listening to a lot of Ben Kweller lately. The Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter has been one of my favorite artists since I discovered his 2002 solo debut, “Sha Sha,” the following fall. I’ve been […]
Samantha Crain Cracks The Case On ‘Gumshoe’
Checking in with longtime artists feels like catching up with old friends, and it’s one of the great joys of writing The High Note each week. I was delighted to see singer-songwriter Samantha Crain release […]
Goose Takes Flight on ‘Everything Must Go’
Most jam bands live for live performance. There are a few notable exceptions like Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” and “Farmhouse” by Phish. However, most songs written by jam bands serve primarily as launchpads for interstellar […]