Well, it happens every December. Nothing releases. So, no review this week. Hope everybody had a merry Christmas!

Juliana Hatfield, Lightning Might Strike ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❌ Indie rock stalwart Juliana Hatfield is back with a new album. Just don’t tell the McCoys that one of them Hatfields has been back in the studio. They won’t like that. Anyways, Juliana Hatfield has always been a steady, consistently good fixture in indie rock ever since her 1992 debut, and this album is no exception. Musically, this is just pure indie rock goodness right here. And lyrically there’s a lot of depth and introspection. Also, I love the production. There’s subtly a lot going on. I love the use of the mellotron. I...

Zac Brown Band, Love & Fear ⭐️❌❌❌❌ Zac Brown Band is back with a new album. So cook you up a little bit of chicken fried, grab a cold beer, put on a pair of jeans that fit just right, and turn the radio off because this is not that good. Anyways, I’m gonna keep this one quick because I really don’t have much good to say about this album. Musically, it peaks with the first couple of songs. It starts out fun, but then it just descends into generic territory. And lyrically it never gets going. It’s just very...

Jessie J, Don’t Tease Me with a Good Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❌ Jessie J is back with a new album. It’s been seven years since her last. In that time she’s dealt with a traumatic miscarriage, a cancer diagnosis, and going independent. So, not exactly a peaceful, easy going hiatus. And that turmoil she’s been through is clear throughout this whole album. The lyrics are very introspective and vulnerable, and the vocal performances are steeped in emotion. Just a really solid outing from Jessie J. Musically, the first half is pretty much straightforward R&B, while the second half delves more into her...