Chris Willman
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Review: Eric Church’s ‘Chief’ Aim Is Poetic Rowdiness
On his third album, country star Eric Church puts a welcomely poetic spin on some overly familiar small-town tropes
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Review: Joss Stone Delivers Most Arresting Effort Yet in “LP1”
White British soul singer Joss Stone offers a cure for the Winehouse blues with her harder-rocking fifth album
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Review: Kelly Rowland Determined to Out-Sex Beyonce With ‘Here I Am’
Aided by a slew of raunchy guest rappers, Kelly Rowland finally drops any traces of the demure act and finds her post-Destiny’s Child identity in being oversexed
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Amy Winehouse: ‘I’ll Be Dead in a Ditch, on Fire’
But the singer’s death, like her genius, was no joke — we’ve lost a great artist, not a caricature
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Music Charts: Blake Shelton, Demi Lovato Make Splashy Bows
‘Voice’ judge Shelton found an agreeable jury for his first No. 1 album, while Lovato’s ‘Skyscraper’ is a rehabilitative hit on the singles chart
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Review: Tim Robbins Brings Strong Instincts, Weak Chops to Debut Album
The actor’s heart and influencesare all in the right place — but his strained voice and overreaching lyrics aren’t
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3 Doors Down’s ‘Time Of My Life’ Too Milquetoast for Any Genre
The era when rock as determinedly bland as this could go six-times-platinum, as the band’s decade-old debut album did, is late and largely unlamented
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With ‘Join Us, ‘ They Might Be Giants Might Be Grown-Ups Again
After a successful run of kids’ albums, the band returns to darker alt-rock — but maintains the all-ages catchiness
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Review: R.E.M. Rewinds 25 Years With ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ Reissue
With a reissue of 1986’s “Lifes Rich Pageant,” the band revisits the end of the Jangle Years, throwing in some less Rickenbacker-heavy demos
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Review: Colbie Caillat Keeps Floating Bubbles in ‘All of You’
On the scale of sunniness, this quintessential Malibu gal makes a fellow beachcomber like Jack Johnson look like Trent Reznor
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Review: Maybe They Were Right to Have Voted Off Pia Toscano
Her first single, “This Time,” comes off more like a parody of I-will-survive clichés than the memorable diva showcase she needs to earn her vindication
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Review: Blake Shelton Finds a Slightly Less Rowdy ‘Voice’ in ‘Red River Blue’
Country rambunctiousness is traded for less polarizing romance in –but fans of his funnier side won’t find his rogue-ish charms altogether MIA