Evan Sawdey
PopMatters
Chicago, IL, United States
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Past articles by Evan:
How George FitzGerald Defied the Algorithm By Stargazing
In lockdown, George FitzGerald's studio became stale. Yet a love of stargazing and the conversion of images into music resulted in a dynamic new album. → Read More
The 11 Best Ambient Albums of 2021
Studies have shown how the global pandemic has changed our listening habits, and for those seeking calm, these 11 are the best ambient albums of the year. → Read More
The 15 Best Indie Pop Albums of 2021
In 2021, indie pop had the job of scoring the world's reopening, marrying joy and uncertainty. From Wolf Alice to Illuminati Hotties, these albums got the gold. → Read More
The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2020
In a year that felt lonelier than ever, some expected ambient music to be a soothing balm. Yet ambient artists capture the sadness, the bliss, the hurt, and the healing of this wild year better than most. → Read More
The 15 Best Pop Albums of 2020
The 15 best pop albums radiate with unstoppable playlist power and much-needed sweet escapism. → Read More
How HBO Max's Ballroom 'Legendary' Became Compelling TV in 2020
Not many knew what to make of HBO Max's initial reality competition Legendary when it first premiered, but the high tensions that ended Season 1, Episode 5 escalated the vogue-tastic and defiantly queer celebration of ballroom culture into the must-watch event of the year. → Read More
To Watch a Predator: The Difficult Handling of 'RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 12'
While RuPaul's Drag Race remains a celebration of campy queer culture, Season 12 premiered as serious allegations against a contestant were quickly confirmed, forcing the producers to recut the episodes to diminish the influence of a now-known predator. Did the gambit work? → Read More
Fiona Apple's Thundering 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' Is Her Most Striking Album
Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters is bold and demanding, and it might very well go down as the finest full-length she has ever made. → Read More
Dua Lipa's 'Future Nostalgia' Is the Dance Escape We Need Right Now
Engaged, confident, and better than ever, Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia is a dancefloor fire-starter but just a shade away from being a true pop masterpiece. → Read More
10 albums that disappointed in 2019
Maybe we had high hopes; maybe we were taken back by the surprise nature of the release. But once our ears clicked in, there's no denying that 2019 had its share of striking disappointments. → Read More
The best debut albums of the the last 50 years by year
There's an old saying in the music industry: You have your entire life to make your debut album. → Read More
Betty Who's 'Betty' Is the Synthpop Fix You've Been Looking For
Betty Who's heart is always in the right place, and with her newfound artistic freedom, she's is crafting the kind of pop music that she wants to make. → Read More
How Kip Berman Gave Tom Petty's 'Full Moon Fever' the Pains of Being Pure at Heart Treatment
Working on a covers album by one of your heroes prior to him unexpectedly dying may suddenly alter the course of your tribute, and for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart's Kip Berman, it changed him profoundly. → Read More
The Best Pop Albums of 2018
In a year when we wanted the radio star to have an opinion on the political divide, leave it to these ten exemplary pop records to slip in -- largely unnoticed -- and leave a lasting legacy all their own. → Read More
The Best Ambient/Instrumental Albums of 2018
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More
The Best Ambient/Instrumental Albums of 2018
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More
The Best Ambient/Instrumental Albums of 2018
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More
The Best Ambient/Instrumental Albums of 2018
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More
8. M. Geddes Gengras
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More
The Best Ambient/Instrumental Albums of 2018
A great ambient album can provide a space to step into, or make the trees on your morning walk seem a little taller and the light a little more vivid or the world seem a little more like a dream. → Read More