Chris Willman
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Review: Kristin Chenoweth Is Too Much of a Good Witch on Her Country Debut
When she’s camping it up, the Broadway diva is a natural in her theater-to-twang transition, but a plethora of soppy message songs undercut the fun
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Review: Lady Antebellum Gets Too Lady-Like on Ballad-Thick 3rd Album
The country-pop trio try to repeat the romantic formula that produced “Need You Now,” with less miraculous results
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Charts: Lil Wayne Falls Just a Lil’ Shy of a Million; MTV Awards Boost Adele’s Ballad to No. 1
“The Carter IV” is almost on par with Lil Wayne’s past sales glory, with 964,000 sold, while Adele’s bravura awards-show turn actually pushed an old-school ballad into the top spot on the digital songs chart
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Review: Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way, Again, With ‘Seeds We Sow’
One of rock’s great mad geniuses uses his dexterous hands to beckon us back inside his troubled head. Just don’t look for its claustrophobia to satisfy any pop-craving Mac attack
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Review: Latest Buddy Holly Tribute Could Use More Creative Spark
Holly’s music is ripe for rediscovery, but younger rockers aren’t likely to connect with a boomer-friendly tribute that wastes everyone from Brian Wilson to Zooey Deschanel
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Review: George Strait’s ‘Good Time’ Could Use More Heartbreak
The country superstar co-wrote most of his own material for the first time on his 39th album, which suffers for shutting out the great tunesmiths Strait’s leaned on in the past
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Review: Hugh Laurie Delivers Enjoyable — If Limited — Debut Album
The “House” actor is hardly a Dr. John or Irma Thomas, as a jazzy-blues singer — but bringing them on for prominent guest spots ups the good will on an enjoyable vanity project
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Charts: Streisand, The Game Are Both Off Their Sales Game
Game was off his game with a still-charttopping 98,000 in album sales, while Streisand’s Bergman-esque tribute sold 66,000 to bow at No. 4
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Review: Lil Wayne Still Crazy After All These Jail Sentences on ‘Tha Carter IV’
On what’s expected to be the year’s biggest hip-hop blockbuster, the self-admittedly crazed rapper threatens women, other rappers and, um, ibuprofen
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Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers Leave Hot New Guitarist Stewing in ‘I’m With You’
New guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has no problem fitting in, but isn’t featured nearly enough in the band’s 10th album
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Review: Glen Campbell’s ‘Ghost’ a Moving — But Not Entirely Satisfying — Farewell
The Alzheimer’s-diagnosed star remembers the arrangements that made “Wichita Lineman” soar but falls a bit short lyrically
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Review: Jake Owen’s ‘Blue Jean Night’ Revels in Ordinary — and Not in a Good Way
The country hunk can’t rise above the idealized clichés of backroads romance on his determinedly upbeat third album
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Charts: Jay-Z & Kanye Unbowed; Lil Wayne Can and ‘Will’ Sell Singles
Modestly debuting releases from the Eli Young Band and Jeff Bridges posed no threat to week 2 of the Kanye/Jay-Z dynasty … or to Adele, whose album passed the 3 million mark
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Review: Pavement Hasn’t Run Out for Stephen Malkmus on Nostalgia-Defying ‘Mirror’
With fellow ’90s indie-rock icon Beck producing, Malkmus has an album captivating enough to make you forget about his old band … again
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Review: Miranda Lambert’s Side Project, Pistol Annies, Pull Trigger on 2011’s Best Country Album
Sly country comedy competes with stark economic realism in the rude, charming debut from Lambert’s off-hours female trio