Chris Willman
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Review: Noel Gallagher’s First Solo Album Is No Oasis of Creativity
As a singer, Noel Gallagher is nearly a dead ringer for his embattled brother, Liam. Which is fine, if you want a record that’s just another Oasis album
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Review: Induct Miranda Lambert in the Hall of Fame Right Now!
On her great new “Four the Record,” the Texas firebrand shows off a softer side — but she’s hardly forsaken hell-raising
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Review: Justin Bieber Now a Baritone, Begging for Pecks ‘Under the Mistletoe’
A mistletoe-driven pastiche of now and old holiday songs — unfortunately, the new ones mostly consist of tangled combinations of Christmas clichés
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Review: Susan Boyle Mines Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode for Middle-Aged Melancholia
The frump-pop superstar’s third album, ‘”Someone to Watch Over Me,” is a surprisingly tasteful downer
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‘The Artist’ Director, Star Break Their Silence at Wrap Screening
With lots of Oscar buzz behind it, ‘The Artist’ could be the biggest non-talkie in 80 years
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Review: Tom Waits’ ‘Bad as Me’ Couldn’t Be Better
Keith Richards shows up to help the legendary eccentric rock out on his first new recording in eight years, an album-of-the-year contender
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Review: Coldplay Retreats to a Lofty Comfort Zone With ‘Mylo Xyloto’
Chris Martin and company promised more electronic touches — not to mention a heady narrative concept — but this just feels like “Viva la Vida” lite
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Review: Kelly Clarkson Provides a Master Class in Pop Singing in ‘Stronger’
Vivid, angry emotions and pure pop fun happily co-exist in the enduring Idol’s fifth and best album
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Review: Jane’s Addiction Sounds Like Second-Tier U2 in ‘Escape Artist’
The pioneering alt-rock band’s first album in eight years sounds more like mid-level U2 (or Muse) than their own trailblazing ’90s explosiveness
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Review: Shelby Lynne Addresses Family Demons in Surprising ‘Revelation Road’
On her 12th album, the acclaimed ex-country singer finally writes about the famous tragedy in her family background … and, as always, lifts melancholia to exhilarating new levels
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Review: Chris Isaak Reaches for the Memphis Sun on Elvis-Emulating Tribute Album
It’s a wonder a Sun Records worshipper like Isaak didn’t get around to covering Presley, Lewis, Orbison and Cash a couple of decades ago Better timelessly late than never
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Review: Martina McBride Makes a Nicely Restrained Fresh Start With ‘Eleven’
The diva’s first album for a new label flirts with contemporary pop and Nashville-style R&B before settling into being a honest-to-gosh country album
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Review: Joe Jonas Can’t Quite Get Into the Club With Disco-fied Solo Debut
Shorn of both locks and rock, the swarthiest JoBro leaves his siblings and their power-pop behind for an underwhelming set of club bangers
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Review: Evanescence Runs Gloom Into the Ground on ‘Evanescence’
That more adventurous project Amy Lee kept promising over the last five years? It got put in the vault!
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Charts: Freshman Rapper J. Cole Routs Blink-182’s Comeback
Jay-Z’s protégé bowed with an impressive 218,000, well ahead of debuting rockers Blink-182 and Wilco