Beyonce (Knowles) first came across our radar as the dominant diva in the all-female, modern R&B group Destiny's Child. But it didn't take long for Queen Bey to fly the hive and make honey as a solo artist beyond measure. Thirteen years and six albums into her solo career, Beyonce has exceeded all expectations with her latest release, Lemonade (Parkwood/Columbia). Her excellent eponymous 2013 disc was going to be a hard act to follow, but squeezing a thirst-quenching song cycle out of domestic distress has turned out to be her forte. Beginning with the "dishonesty all over your breath" in "Pray You Catch Me," it's fair to say that this drink is going to be tart. It's also worth noting that the disc is a testament to working with the right collaborators, such as James Blake ("Pray You Catch Me," "Forward"), Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend ("Hold Up"), Jack White ("Don't Hurt Yourself"), The Weeknd ("6 Inch"), Wynter Gordon ("Daddy Lessons"), and Kendrick Lamar ("Freedom"). Proper placements of classic samples "Can't Get Used To Losing You," "When the Levee Breaks" and "Walk On By" also go a long way in setting the tone. Dramatically delivered numbers "Sandcastles" and "Formation" are too powerful to forget.
Thirty years after the release of Graceland, and at almost 75 years old, with Stranger to Stranger (Concord) Paul Simon continues the 21st-century streak of creative brilliance that began with 2006's Brian Eno-produced Surprise and 2013's Phil Ramone-produced So Beautiful or So What . Reunited with "his old partner," producer Roy Halee (co-producer of Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Waters, as well as numerous Simon solo efforts), Simon sounds as fresh and modern as ever. Simon has incorporated international influences in his music since his first post-S&G album in 1972, and continues to expand his musical palette with this album. Still our greatest living story-songwriter, Simon reels us in immediately with the terrifying on many levels "The Werewolf," and doesn't release us for nearly 40 minutes. The humorous "Wristband," the ominous instrumental "The Clock," "Street Angel" (which makes great use of samples), the exhilarating "In a Parade" (which could be a massive club track with the right remix), and the three breathtaking tunes that close the album ("The Riverbank," "Cool Papa Bell" and the devastatingly beautiful "Insomniac's Lullaby") qualify this album as one of the best of 2016.
In case we forgot that Alice Bag was the former lead singer of LA punk legends The Bags, she opens her long overdue eponymous solo debut (on Don Giovanni) with the searing "Little Hypocrite." But it's what follows that tune that really rocks our world. The girl-group retro of "He's So Sorry" is a kind of brilliant answer song to the unfortunate 50-year-old Carole King/Gerry Goffin number "He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)." Bag also bags it on the intelligent punk of "Programmed" ("We're on an ocean and the boat is sinking, no knowledge without critical thinking"), the infidelity heartbreaker "Suburban Home," and the anti-sexual-violence anthem "No Means No!" The presence of queer musicians Kristian Hoffman and Allison Wolfe only makes this disc even more essential to your music library.
Highly regarded queer musician Lou Reed's life as a solo artist was far lengthier than the time he spent in the Velvet Underground. Nevertheless, the influence of the short-lived Velvet Underground can still be felt today. Reed also provided plenty of inspiration to others when he went out on his own, beginning with his transformative 1972 disc Transformer , which included the massive and subversive hit single "Walk on the Wild Side." For the next 40 years, the late Reed would go on to surprise and challenge us with each recording. Due to be released in October, three years after Reed's passing, the 17-disc box set The RCA & Arista Album Collection (Legacy/RCA/Arista) compiles 17 albums, including masterpieces such as Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle, The Bells, The Blue Mask and New Sensations .
Would you look at that? The kids from Nickel Creek are all grown up! Chris Thile is a dad and is about to take over A Prairie Home Companion hosting duties following Garrison Keillor's retirement. Fiddler and singer Sara Watkins has just released her third album, the interestingly titled Young in All the Wrong Ways (New West). Watkins rocks us and herself on the title track and "Move Me," with strong results. Even when she finds her way back to her modern Americana roots, as she does on the delightful "One Last Time," the foot-stomper "The Truth Won't Set Us Free," and serious numbers "Like New Year's Day," "Without a Word," "Tenderhearted" and "Invisible," she puts a distinctive spin on what we hear.
Richard Ashcroft, of The Verve fame, returns with These People (Harvest-Cooking Vinyl-RPA), his first solo album in six years. Easily one of his most accessible efforts, Ashcroft bravely traverses electronic dance territory on "Hold On" and "Out of My Body," with satisfying results. He also doesn't shy away from the kinds of statements he's known for on "They Don't Own Me," "Songs of Experience" and "Everybody Needs Somebody To Hurt," which is reminiscent of "Bittersweet Symphony."
We Were Wild (Grand Jury), the latest solo album by Esme Patterson of the Denver band Paper Bird, is equal parts wild ("Feel Right," "Moth Song") and tame ("Guadalupe," "Wantin' Ain't Getting'"). Formerly of Titus Andronicus, Amy Klein, whose vocal style is reminiscent of Romeo Void's Debora Iyall, burns it up on her solo debut Fire (Don Giovanni), particularly on the title track, "Yes Men," "Parallels," and "Runaway."