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...

Emerging from the verdant landscapes of County Offaly, Ireland, folk/ballad singer-songwriter Wayne Brereton stitches tales of resilience, drawing upon the deep cultural wells of his homeland and his personal trials. From the Heart of Ireland Emerges a Story of Grit, Wrapped in Beautiful Ballads and Infused with the Spirit of Traditional Irish Folk. Brereton was a musical prodigy who began playing guitar in bands at the juvenile age of 14 and eventually carved out a place as the lead guitarist for the popular Irish pop/rock band "Hogan." The Robin's Call by Wayne Brereton Brereton's music is a magnificent tapestry woven from...