Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, “Dragons” (Thirty Tigers)

Drew Holcomb has slotted himself as the dad next door type, one who writes love songs to his children and wife and who takes an unassuming stance on the world around him. It’s an identity that suits him and one that he continues to embrace on his band’s newest album, “Dragons.”

While most of the album’s tracks are in the same vein as Holcomb and the Neighbors’ previous work, the songs “Family” and “End of the World” are a departure as they blend the band’s typical Americana sound with pop influences.

It especially works in “End of the World,” a song that is surprisingly upbeat despite its title. Holcomb is tongue-in-cheek as he encourages people to let go and “smoke ‘em if you got ’em,” rather than dwell in the world’s current state of affairs. The carefree nature of a song is a welcome escape from reality.

The rest of the album adheres to Holcomb’s usual sincerity. And while this sincerity is what has attracted much of his fan base, the line he treads is a fine one. While heartfelt, there are times his songs border cheesy in their earnestness.

“See the World,” which features his wife Ellie, is a song about the excitement of seeing the world through his child’s eyes. It has touching moments, but there are lines that come across as cliché (such as his Peter Pan reference). Similarly, while the sentiment is sweet in “Make It Look So Easy,” it sounds like a song that’s been written too many times already.

Holcomb shines the brightest on songs that combine his Nashville blues and country roots with vulnerable lyrics such as the title track and “You Never Leave My Heart.” They both tap into the storytelling tradition of folk music with “Dragons” giving a redemptive chorus in which his grandfather encourages him to “take a few chances/a few worthy romances/go swimming in the ocean on New Year’s Day.” ″You Never Leave My Heart” gives a retrospective look at memories surrounding the death of Holcomb’s brother.
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“Dragons” is an honest album and one that gives a window into the life of this dad next door— a Nashville family man who acknowledges both the silver-linings and complexities of life.

Cuco, “Para Mi” (Interscope Records)

Love songs may be known for their traditionally jovial tone, but on Cuco’s full-length debut he gives his love ballads a darker tone. “Para Mi” has lighter moments and a chilled-out hip-hop vibe, but it is Cuco’s searing, often darker imagery that leaves an impression.

The 21-year-old Los Angeles artist Omar Banos, known by his stage name Cuco, has landed himself between indie pop and G-funk hip-hop with his lazy, relaxed and psychedelic album.

Even the drug references laced throughout never cheapen the record. “Keeping Tabs” is not only about keeping tabs on his current state of mind, but also “trippin’ off the tabs in my room,” as he confesses, “I don’t know why baby but I’m feeling blue.”

Darker imagery in “Far Away from Home” is cushioned with synthesizers, fuzzy electric guitar, angelic whirling and chimes that flutter in the background as Cuco sings, “I’m rotting in the image of my head.”

In “Ego Death in Thailand,” the music is spacey, ambient and sunny as his voice echoes, “Don’t look away look through my eyes/Every breath you take another part of me dies.”

The appropriately titled “Lovetripper” is a dream-like love song where he takes his time singing through the cycle of love. From an earnest beginning when “anyone can see the obvious with their own eyes/That you’re special, special to me” to “the aftermath of love and crying eyes,” Cuco’s voice is steady, guiding the journey.

Though the album is a strong debut, admittedly it feels cluttered at times. “Best Friend,” for example, starts strong with a Latin music intro, but feels bogged down by the bedroom production-style beats that drop in. And while the album is thematically and musically coherent, the record would benefit from a standout song, one that breaks the trancelike effect created by Cuco’s lo-fi production.
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“Para Mi” is a promising start for a rising artist.

Jayson and Stacy Greene speak of grief matter-of-factly and calmly, as it’s something they’ve come to know intimately since the tragic death of their 2-year-old daughter, Greta, in 2015.

“I wouldn’t say that the work is complete because I don’t think it ever is when you’re grieving,” Stacy Greene said.

Greta was sitting outside on a bench with her grandmother in New York’s Upper West Side when she was struck by a falling piece of a windowsill. She was rushed to the emergency room where she died.

As an editor at online music magazine Pitchfork, writing was a natural outlet for Jayson Greene. “I always wanted to write a book,” he said, but he didn’t know the first one would be so personal. What started as journal entries turned into something more six months after Greta’s death.

“Once More We Saw Stars” is a memoir about the aftermath of their daughter’s death and the experience of coping with grief.
While the death of a young child is a dark and difficult journey to take a reader on, Greene says it was important to him that the reader felt safe.

“If I’m going to write a book about this, I need it to be bearable and readable without being false or untrue in some way,” he said.

He took inspiration from Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air” and Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking” for their ability to provide a “window” into the world of death and “tell the truth without sort of howling it at you.”

“I think that there were books I opened up where I didn’t feel safe with the narrator,” Greene said. “I’m stepping into this person’s wound rather than into their story, and it felt dangerous in a way that I was careful to avoid.”

Since the book’s publication in May, the couple have been moved by the outpouring of support from readers.

“We’ve heard from lots of people, particularly people who’ve lost children, who’ve said, ‘Thank you for articulating what it was that I was feeling,’ and that’s an incredible thing,” Greene said.

He said the book has also provided them with a sense of community.

“I feel like the book has been sort of this beautiful extension where people have reached out that are this extended part of this community that we would have never otherwise reached,” Stacy Greene said. “I’ve been grateful that we’ve had these connections to these readers who are fellow bereaved people or people who are in some way connected to the grief that we experienced.”

One person they heard from after the book release was a particular surprise— the parent of a child who received one of Greta’s organs.

“Because our story was in the news, they were very aware that they were receiving one of Greta’s organs and the person actually reached out to us to let us know that their child was alive because of Greta,” Stacy Greene said.

“That was such a closed circle in a way that we never would have imagined,” Jayson Greene said.

Since the book’s publication, they say their lives have changed, but in many ways, they haven’t. On the night of the book release, their 3-year-old son, Harrison, threw a temper tantrum.

“Before we’re leaving like, you know, again, it’s this book about our family and the beauty and Harrison just throws the world’s biggest tantrum,” Greene says with a laugh. “And Stacy’s putting on makeup and she looks, and he’s screaming, and she’s like, ‘Cherish every moment.’”

The tantrum ended, but Greene says that life is “just as real as it was before.”

They still have to juggle with school out for the summer, and they still make “the same mistakes,” like letting Harrison stay up too late.

But what has changed is the way they talk about Greta.

“Before the book published, what we had to tell people about Greta was something so awful: Our daughter died. She died meaninglessly and violently in an accident. She was 2,” Greene said. “And now what I say is, ‘I wrote a book about my daughter. It’s called ‘Once More We Saw Stars.’”
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If readers of his memoir take away anything, he hopes that it is this: “It’s possible to live your life, not just survive, but to live. It was possible for us, it is possible.”

Tycho, “Weather” (Mom + Pop/Ninja Tune)

California-artist Scott Hansen, better known as Tycho, is back with his fifth studio album “Weather,” one that begins much as one might expect.

Opener “Easy” is an instrumental, electronic track in the same vein as his previous work — atmospheric and upbeat. A woman’s voice pushes through, but her words are indistinct.

By the second song, though, the deviation from past albums is clear. “Pink & Blue” opens with Saint Sinner’s ethereal voice as she sings, “Oh pink and blue, yeah, you know I look good on you.”

Hearing vocals comes as a surprise. Tycho’s past work has been almost exclusively instrumental, falling on the brighter side of the down-tempo music spectrum. Samples of people speaking, such as a broadcaster giving a report, are used on albums like “Past Is Prologue,” but never before has he been accompanied by a vocalist.

On “Weather,” the vocal presence only gains strength as the songs continue, giving Hansen’s work an entirely new feel. When Sinner is paired with the ambient sound of Hansen’s usual electronic mixings, the album releases a tone that is reminiscent of The XX. Her voice is featured on six of the eight tracks, five of which have substantial lyrics — a big shift from Hansen’s Grammy-nominated 2016 album, “Epoch.”

The change is welcomed. The production value is uncompromised with Sinner’s haunting vocals adding another layer to Hansen’s unmistakable songwriting and genius production. Hansen, who transformed Tycho in 2014 when he added band members Zac Brown and Rory O’Connor, is showing once again that he’s unafraid to tamper with his formula.
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It’s a fresh sound, one that shows Hansen’s intent to weather the storm and keep his fans guessing where his music will take them next.

The Black Keys, “Let’s Rock” (Nonesuch/Easy Eye Sound)

The Black Keys are back with a return to their roots. And just in case their opening song doesn’t make that clear enough, the album’s title — “Let’s Rock” — spells out their intention.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have made rock with a bluesy-funk undertone their specialty, with this influence even shining through on some of Auerbach’s production projects (see Cage the Elephant’s “Tell Me I’m Pretty”). While they may have ventured from this sound slightly on their last album, 2014′s ambient and psychedelic “Turn Blue,” they’ve returned to it in full force and to full effect on their ninth LP, “Let’s Rock.”

Opener “Shine a Little Light” is appropriately bright and upbeat, entering with a blues rock feel before changing gears into a more garage rock sound for the chorus. It’s followed by “Eagle Birds,” a track equally reminiscent of the Keys’ sound on 2010′s “Brothers” and 2011′s “El Camino.”
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While the Keys have returned to their catchy, provocative riffs, “Let’s Rock” leans closer to their more recent albums than their earlier, grittier sound. Softer songs like “Walk Across the Water” and the Beatles-sounding “Sit Around and Miss You” bring depth to the album, while the female background vocalists used throughout add gentle, soulful tones. “Get Yourself Together” is another highlight with its Western tinge and foot-stomping rhythm.
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From top to bottom, the 12-track “Let’s Rock” holds tight to captivating instrumentation, with guitar at the center. The Black Keys are rock royalty and to the relief of many, they aren’t quite ready to relinquish their reign.

The Raconteurs, “Help Us Stranger” (Third Man Records)

Often a band is defined by its strongest member. A lead vocalist pushes to the front while the rest of the group fades behind.

For The Raconteurs, this is not the case. Jack White may be the most popular band member (and the most distinctive vocally), but each is essential on “Help Us Stranger,” the foursome’s first album since 2008.

While White is known for his many projects — The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and his solo career — The Raconteurs is White at his strongest, with songwriting help from Brendan Benson, who only propels White’s inventive, genre-bending style. They are backed by bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler, two musicians who can’t be underestimated.

“Don’t Bother Me” is just the kind of song you’d hope to hear from a band known for pushing boundaries. Its frantic musical composition matches the chaos that the lyrics sketch out: “Your hidden agenda/You ruthless rule bender/Your surface duplicity/It’s all nothing new to me.”

“Shine the Light on Me” is similarly experimental. The track starts with whirling, distorted notes before harmonies pour in an almost Queen-like manner. Benson’s voice smoothly intertwines with White’s before fat piano chords clamor over the track as he sings, “When you’re searching in the dark/It doesn’t matter if you’re blind does it?/Can’t you see?”
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Overall, the 12-track set never disappoints. Each song is unique and vital. From the angst of “Don’t Bother Me” to the weighty “Thoughts and Prayers,” with its searing violin and Nashville soul and blues influence, “Help Us Stranger” is a rock ‘n’ roll album that is not afraid to venture to new places.

Calexico and Iron & Wine, “Years to Burn” (Sub Pop)

Reuniting on “Years to Burn,” their first full-length project since 2005, Calexico and Iron & Wine remind audiences why they initially collaborated. Strong alone, the two bands are stronger together.

Sam Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, has been something of a sensation in the indie world since the early 2000s. Calexico, with main members Joey Burns and John Convertino, is a Southwestern rock band with influences from mariachi to jazz. Together, the two are perfectly complementary.

Beam brings his own talents to the table — a raspy whisper of a voice, telling stories and pouring out lyrics wrought with meaning. These talents are only further enhanced by those of Calexico, adding texture and depth with their musical composition.

Differentiating itself from the “In the Reins” EP, on which the two acts first collaborated, “Years to Burn” feels more self-assured, like a group of musicians comfortable playing together and not afraid to experiment.

“The Bitter Suite” serves as the perfect example of this talent realized. The eight-minute track split into three parts opens with a distinctively Calexico Spanish couplet, followed by an instrumental jam and finishing with a part that sounds like a separate song entirely. The third section would feel disjointed were it not for two lines buried in the verses — “There are dreams wild enough to pass the time” and “This dead bird wants the wings he can’t recall” — the same two lines sung in Spanish at the song’s start.
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The title track has all of Beam’s usual delicacy, yet there is more to explore, as soft trumpet pushes through the melding vocals of Beam and Burns. “Midnight Sun” is one of the few tracks written by Calexico, but it feels just as at home within the album. With a folklore theme and elusive, thoughtful lyrics, it could have just as easily been written by Beam. The songwriting styles of both fall into step, seamlessly.
The reunion feels a long time coming for two groups so wonderfully in sync and complementary. Hopefully, audiences won’t have to wait so long for their next collaboration to unfold.

Andrea Bocelli isn't just an opera superstar, he's also quite a stylish home and hotel owner.
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Bocelli showed off his beautiful home by opening his doors to Architectural Digest.

Bocelli's 8,000-square-foot Italian home, called Villa Alpemare, is the definition of luxury — a hotel-turned-home off the coast of Versilia in Tuscany, the same region he grew up.

Despite its grandeur, Bocelli told Architectural Digest that Villa Alpemare is an “elegant yet unpretentious house.”

The three-floor, powder-pink home offers Bocelli all he needs: a living and dining room on the first floor, offices, a music studio and guest rooms on the second floor and bedrooms and private spaces on the top level.

“I am very attached to this house,” he said. “I feel that it resembles me.”

It is a space he and his family — wife Veronica Berti Bocelli and three children, Amos, Matteo and Virginia — can enjoy; one he says is large enough “for us to live and work in, make music and host many friends.”

Over the past year, Bocelli has renovated the home to meet his needs by upgrading the building, installing new windows, redoing floors and modernizing water, heating and electrical systems.

His wife’s style is also on display within the home, as Bocelli credits Berti Bocelli’s keen eye for the beautiful design. He said she gave the rooms “a sense of coherence, restoring warmth to the house.”

His home isn’t the only real estate he owns in the vicinity. He and his wife took over the Alpemare Beach Resort off the Versilian coast in 2017.

His Alpemare resort is just as stylish with sleek white tents covering the seaside spot.

For more pictures of Bocelli's Italian villa, visit Architectural Digest.

You may recognize Michael Douglas’ voice as the detective in “Basic Instinct” or the unfaithful husband in “Fatal Attraction,” but now it's being used to narrate a real estate video.

The Oscar-winner is selling his $32.4 million home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. To help him find a buyer, Douglas created this video that outlines the estate’s history and luxurious features.

The home, named “S’Estaca,” is what Douglas calls a “magical retreat” — 200 acres with seven separate buildings, a vineyard, olive groves and a pool. It was bought in the mid-19th century by Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator and has been in Douglas’ possession for the last 30 years. He purchased the estate with his first wife, Diandra Luker, for $3.5 million.

According to Douglas, Salvator would invite Empress Elisabeth of Austria to visit him and take rides on his yacht, which was docked on the port of the island in front of the estate.

Douglas says he “fell under its spell” and has since modernized the buildings and added his own personal touches. With five apartments, two cottages and 10 bedrooms, Douglas says that it's a great place to entertain and up to 20 people can stay in “great style and comfort.”

At 74 years old, Douglas is ready to depart with the estate, saying it is time to let “someone else enjoy the privilege and adventure” of the home. He and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones have had the estate on the market since 2014, when they first listed it for close to $60 million.

The Spanish villa is not Douglas’ only property on the market. He has also listed his eight-bedroom, 3-acre Bermuda home for $10.6 million.

This seems like the perfect property for history buffs who also love luxury.

The Head and the Heart, “Living Mirage” (Warner Bros. Records)

On the heels of bands like the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons, the Head and the Heart arrived into the folk-rock scene at just the right time. Their self-titled debut — self-released in 2009 and later released by record label Sub Pop in 2011 — resonated with fans who delighted in their organic sound. From the tight harmonies to sparse production, the album was vulnerable and pure.

Fast-forward 10 years and the Head and the Heart have headed down a different path entirely. Fans looking for the folksy rock they fell in love with will be disappointed by the clean, heavily produced fourth record, “Living Mirage.”

The album contains only a glimmer of the magic held within the Head and the Heart’s first two albums. The band’s third release, “Signs of Light,” hinted at the group’s transition toward pop, but it isn’t until the first two songs of “Living Mirage” that this identity shift is fully realized.

Those tracks — “See You Through My Eyes” and “Missed Connection” — are arguably the album’s weakest. Gone are the idiosyncrasies that colored the group’s early work. The rough edges of Jonathan Russell and Charity Rose Thielen’s voices have been polished to perfection, and with them, the texture and charm eradicated.

The Head and the Heart are the strongest with songs like “Glory of Music,” where the production is stripped back and the raw vocals shine through. The title track is a breath of fresh air as the harmonica trickles in and Russell croons, “When I give in to you/Every word that you say rings true.”

The album has some other moments of brilliance, but they seem fleeting or lost among a collection of songs that don’t hold the same weight as the past work of the band.
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Simply put, the heart is gone from the Head and the Heart.