Acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne is back with Trouble & Strife (Womanly Hips Records), her first album of original material in six years. Osborne self-produced the new collection and penned all ten songs, with two co-writes. Trouble & Strife finds the gifted vocalist offering a strong yet uplifting response to some of the socio-political issues plaguing our nation over the last several years. Osborne beautifully balances the weight of her messages with solace and optimism.
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne is back with Trouble & Strife (Womanly Hips Records), her first album of original material in six years. Osborne self-produced the new collection and penned all ten songs, with two co-writes. Trouble & Strife finds the gifted vocalist offering a strong yet uplifting response to some of the socio-political issues plaguing our nation over the last several years. Osborne beautifully balances the weight of her messages with solace and optimism.
East India Youth's William Doyle is an artist of two halves. On the one hand he's an emotional electronic songsmith: think a James Blake you don't want to grab by the scruff of the neck and pack off to national service. On the other, he's an inventive composer who can turn his hand to Harold Buddesque soundscapes one minute (Total Strife Forever I-IV) and surprisingly banging techno such as Hinterland the next. His debut album – probably the first, and last, to feature a title constructed from a Foals pun – oscillates between these styles in a manner that sometimes lacks coherence.