TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, "Easy Street". The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret. https://open.spotify.com/album/6wLvX4vix5YygVOuQ7039p?si=aasK_0XHSAmhDNLFrh-aUw The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic...

On "Mr. Know It All", the loudest person in the room may have the least to teach us. That thought gives Jack Raymond’s second album its bite. This Australian folk, roots and blues album review puts people at its centre. They carry family stories, dodge hard truths and live with choices that arrived before them. Raymond gives no heroic status to the title figure. Instead, he...