On their last two albums, the Killers continue to circle around faith and eventually grasp it—if not in completely solid form.
Music
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Mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile writes psalms for those who struggle to believe — or belong
In “Laysongs,” mandolinist Chris Thile lays theatrics and sea captains aside and sings simply and honestly about his struggle to believe.
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‘Donda’ review: Kanye West is our generation’s Richard Wagner
Like it or not, Kanye is our Wagner—a master architect of pure spectacle and a man whose unhinged brilliance confronts us all.
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Whatever and ever Amen: Two Gen-X Catholics remember classic retreat songs.
Did the singer-songwriter era come about specifically to fill a demand by retreat directors for a poignant soundtrack to accompany the spiritual epiphanies of 16-year-olds?
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St. Augustine meets America’s Got Talent: The spirituality of Nightbirde’s viral hit “It’s OK”
Nightbirde recognizes the habit of trying to fix things on one’s own. She sings, “Don’t know why I take the tightrope and cry when I fall.”
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Túpac Shakur at 50: Remembering an underdog prophet
Túpac Shakur is widely recognized as a musical pioneer. On what would be his 50th birthday, it is time to recognize him as a prophet as well.
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Happy 80th birthday, Bob Dylan, teacher of the American soul
Bob Dylan, who turns 80 on May 24, expanded my musical and conceptual horizons from my college days onward.
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Every song on the Hillbilly Thomists’ new album could be a homily (including ‘Bourbon, Bluegrass, & the Bible’)
“Living For The Other Side” is one way to stay conscious and alive, and to be reminded of what we are worshipping.
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Pandemic solitude strengthened Harry Connick Jr.’s Catholic faith — and shaped his new album of hymns
Marooned in his home in Connecticut much of last year, unable to tour or even safely hang out with his band, he sat in his home studio and put together a list of favorite church music, from “Amazing Grace” to 1970s-era Catholic folk Mass tunes to modern gospel songs.
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How the pianist Mary Lou Williams found God (and made it to the Vatican)
Williams came to write “Mary Lou’s Mass” to capture her feeling of suffering—and its apotheosis.