Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker reviews rock, country, hip-hop and pop music for Fresh Air. He is a cultural critic who has been the editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, and a film critic for New York Magazine. His work has won two National Magazine Awards and two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards. He has written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review and other publications.
Tucker is the author of Scarface Nation: The Ultimate Gangster Movie and Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy: 100 Things to Love and Hate About Television.
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Berry, who died in March at the age of 90, left behind an album of new material, his first such collection since 1979. Rejecting nostalgia, Berry's last project is interesting and energetic.
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Presley makes a passionate, pointed plea about the current state of country music on her new album. Critic Ken Tucker says that despite its melodramatic nature, Wrangled is subtle, nuanced and clever.
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Emotions like lust and love serve as metaphors for social and political struggles on Lamar's new album. Critic Ken Tucker says the music on DAMN. signals the artist's bold refusal to back down.
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The Philadelphia-based quartet idealizes youth and innocence on its new album. Critic Ken Tucker says the nostalgia on After The Party is "mostly free of excess sentimentality."
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The country singer teams up with producer Lenny Kaye on her new record of spiritual songs. Critic Ken Tucker says the result is one of the most distinctive recordings he's heard in a while.
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Though the Tennessee-born musician lives in Brooklyn now, she still takes inspiration from the Gospel music she grew up with. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews June's latest album.
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Critic Ken Tucker reviews the British group The xx's third album. "Beneath its sleek beauty, there's a fresh joyousness ... that at its best is something close to inspirational," he says of I See You.
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Acoustic guitar and the occasional faint cry of a pedal steel guitar frame Merritt's vocals on her new album. Rock Critic Ken Tucker has a review.
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After writing No. 1 hits for various country stars, Hemby now has an album of her own. Critic Ken Tucker says Puxico mixes country sentiments with a folksy sound.
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Fresh Air's rock critic presents his playlist for 2016. It includes big pop stars, beloved cult stars and a couple of not-yet-stars.