Simon Cropp doesn’t just write songs — he crafts worlds out of the ordinary. On his debut album Paperback Dream, the 28-year-old songwriter invites listeners into his universe of small-town stories, worn highways and quiet revelations. With a voice both gentle and resolute, Cropp illuminates the beauty and heartbreak tucked inside daily life.
Album Reviews
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Sophie Mitchell — ‘What’s Left of Us’
What's Left of Us by Sophie Mitchell So rarely does an album break free from its auditory confines and spin itself into the most visceral, tender visual scenes, painting an […]
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Album Review: DIEZELEATER — ‘Couthless Aggression’
With a band name styled in ALL CAPS and “kvlt and tru” spelling, you know you’re going to have some sort of preconceived notion of the Des Moines-based metallers DIEZELEATER (Should it technically be DIEZELDRINKER?) and I won’t tell you mine.
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Album Review: Anchoress — ‘Sugarsong’
Sugarsong by Anchoress. Iowa has been the birthplace of some incredible heavy music acts. Marshalltown’s Modern Life Is War are melodic hardcore royalty. Iowa City wrought Aseethe and their punishing […]
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Album Review: Deivore — ‘Divinity Glutted’
The brainchild of Ben Smasher and frequent collaborator Joseph Norman (also of black metallers Necrotic Theurgist), Deivore has a prolific output of noise and sound collages, primarily composed of guitar and synthesizers, that blur the lines between improvisational jazz, noise music and modern compositional music.
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Album Review: Fungal Mass — ‘Psychedelic Poison’
“Fungal Mass,” the first track off Psychedelic Poison and named after the band itself, acts as something of a manifesto. Along with the use of second-person throughout the song, the lyrics further welcome the listener to continue their aural adventure with the group, who describe themselves as “an American Thrash Metal band originating from the small town of Wilton, Iowa.”
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Album Review: Rahlan Kay — ‘An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters’
Rahlan Kay’s An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters plays like grown folks’ music. It’s mature, grounded and built on experience. Across the project, Kay shares wisdom and encouragement in a way that’s direct and easy to take in.
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Album Review: River Glen — ‘Poignant Folk-Pop’
Poignant Folk-Pop by River Glen There’s a certain cyclical nature to the poignancy of folk in popular culture. Turned to most in times of turmoil, folk music is perhaps the […]
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Album Review: Bouquet — ‘Feel in Color’
Feel In Color by Bouquet Do you know what it’s like to “feel in color?” That’s the question on the minds of five-piece Des Moines band Bouquet on their latest […]
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Album Review: Dearborn — ‘Memo for a Friend’
Memo For A Friend by dearborn There’s a particular atmosphere to a sleepless night. More than likely, it culminates in stumbling through a dark room and mental fog to turn […]
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Album Review: BYOBrass — ‘Breathe’
Breathe by BYOBrass Breathe, the latest album by Cedar Falls-born BYOBrass, opens with an earthy soul groove in its opening track “Inner Turmoil.” Its melodic notes are pillows that lay […]
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Album Review: Mr. Softheart — ‘Reflections on Primitive Action’
Reflections On Primitive Action by Mr. Softheart In a musical landscape littered with algorithm-choked playlists and brand-safe radio edits, Mr. Softheart comes forward in a defiant whisper. Their latest EP, […]
