I’d always told myself, “If I were the teacher, I’d be the cool one.” The one who has monthly pizza parties, lets the class play heads up seven up all the time, a prize box full of legos and cool erasers, early recess and weekly airings of Bill Nye. But there was a reason the cool teachers were few and far between.

As the world emerged from the dark pandemic cloud, so too had the artists we’d waited on. Despite the mailase and insecurity thats gripped us, these artists, long in their careers and amidst their prime, have released some of their most deeply creative albums.

I sifted through year end lists so you don’t have to! These are the diamonds from a rough year, featuring Arca, London Grammar, CHVRCHES, St. Vincent and more

I spent some time looking through year-end lists to ensure I wasn’t missing anything. These albums showed up without fail, in varying ranks, always there. Surrounding them were masterpieces of their own, but also far too many projects that only a music critic could love.

Both meditative and explosive, “Pang” is a sharp breath of audial beauty In celebration of “Pang’s” first birthday, Caroline Polachek has reproduced and extended opening

“Chromatica” is an exoplanet for tourism, not permanent stays Some concepts are too difficult to focus down into a quippy opening line. Some artists yearn

Poppy. Poppy. Poppy. Poppy. Poppy.  She gazes past the camera and into the internet voyeurs eyes; reciprocating their fascination with technology and its ability to

Amongst the sparkling piano keys and tucked between the serene spaces that frame their bigger anthems, The 1975 has always had a pension for injecting

Below the Teton mountain range in 2018, amongst the clean air and starry nights, a slew of artists held writing sessions and shared lyrics and

A haze of smoke hangs in the air, whipped around by an enthusiastic bearded man bumbling along to his own thoughts. He pushes his glasses

Caroline Polachek paints a strikingly beautiful pastiche of desire on debut solo album “Pang” “PANG!” One moment you’re peacefully at rest in bed, the next

Initially, it might be annoying to read about Sigrid’s emergence into the pop music scene. Every article and interview mentions her makeup-free appearance and girl-next-door

Vocalist Georgia Nott is dressed in silk in a Marilyn Monroe-esque wig, sitting atop a shag carpet next to her pornstache-wearing producer. Instead of honing

A lone piano flourishes out into the darkness — then a click, a bass hit and then James Blake. His voice, heavy and soulful, rests