She gives off an air of seriousness and composure when singing, but her performance belies the depth of feeling she channels. A new song by the French singer and songwriter Naya, named "Vaguémo," has been released recently. The song is about melancholy and being on one's alone. She has a distinctive style—dream pop—and a voice like velvet, so smooth and alluring it captivates as she expertly...

With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...