Choose from the following if you don’t have Spotify, Apple Music or another service:
1) Streaming new albums: https://www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen
(Be careful here though—they disappear after a few days so you may not have access later if you want to go back to check something.)
2) Find a release that interests you here and then search for the full album on YouTube: https://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/release-date/new-releases/date

Guidelines for writing your music review:
1) When you identify the album in the text, indicate the record company that produced it as follows: name of album (name of record label). There’s no need to identify the release date.

2) Clearly indicate what genre of music you are discussing (rock, pop, rap, jazz, r&b… ), whether the group is a solo act, collaboration, includes guests artists, etc. if relevant, and what instrumentation is used.

3) Single out three or four key songs that represent the entire album or performance instead of enumerating every song on/in it.

4) Look for connections between songs to identify a unifying theme for the album.

5) Consider whether the title of the album is significant to your discussion of the music (you may also find an opportunity for word play in it).

6) Consider what the artist/s intended, what audience the album/performance is intended for, and whether it succeeds given those intentions.

7) Consider (if you are familiar with the artist’s work) how this album/performance develops from or fits in with other work the artist has done.

8) Use specific adjectives to describe the music and its impact. Avoid bland, overused adjectives like “good,” “great,” “amazing.”

9) Do not advise the reader (“everyone should buy this”) or generalize about the reader (“everyone will love this”); merely articulate your impression of its merits. Likewise, don’t predict that it will win a Grammy or be a big seller; focus on its value.