With "Regret", Nelson G constructs a sonic space that sits somewhere between a confession and a late-night drive through an empty Swiss town. This single, emerging from his home studio in Brugg, immediately disarms you with a repetitive, plucked acoustic string progression. It functions less like a melody and more like a nervous habit like the way you might subconsciously tear at a paper...

There is a specific kind of melodic stride in Lana Crow’s new release, “Orwellian Times,” that reminds me, quite vividly, of the way people walk when they’re late for a meeting they know is going to be an absolute disaster. It is brisk, purposeful, and rhythmically catchy, yet underpinned by a distinct, vibrating anxiety. This British singer-songwriter has crafted a track that feels less...