Michellar’s new EP, “My Alma Latina,” arrived with the familiar, sinuous warmth of a Santana guitar riff but proceeds to map out an altogether different territory. This isn't just a collection of pop songs seasoned with Latin flair; it's a five-part spiritual field guide, an intimate log of a soul navigating a world that refuses to stand still. https://open.spotify.com/album/2rKpoVX8FJo2tbgSWw50v3?si=6y-Ot-Y7TKyd2tChEI5Jxg It begins with an earthy anxiety, a...

Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...