In the ever-shifting topography of modern music, where trends appear and vanish like digital ghosts, a new voice has emerged from Sydney, Australia, with a clarity and purpose that demands attention. At just 14 years old, JNZI has released his debut single, “Speaker,” a track that is already making its presence felt on national radio and beyond. It’s a song that doesn’t just ask...

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...