Detroit’s Mike Chek, a subterranean staple who quietly pens chart-topping R&B hits on the side, leans completely into the emotional fallout of ambition on his new single "Alright", featuring guest artist TMI 215. https://open.spotify.com/track/3l7HsXZuLdXn3LFmVnSqHl?si=9835f9f41db44d8b It operates in the heavy air of an aimless 3 AM drive. You immediately catch a melancholic, plucked string loop that circles your head, setting an undeniably tired but resolute mood. Soon,...

Allyson Whitmell's "Crack in My Window" arrived in my inbox, and honestly, my first thought was, "Is this the soundtrack to a particularly poignant cat food commercial?" But then, of course – because life loves a good plot twist – it wasn't. https://open.spotify.com/album/7lNXzGxooWZNRYKxSusY3q?si=isdinrQoRwi-yVmYTMH4fA It is, in reality, Whitmell taking a swan dive into the murky waters of nostalgia, grief, and that weird feeling you get when...