The latest from Jacob and the Starry Eyed Shadows, “Racing on the Back Straight,” performs a fantastic trick: it dresses up a full-blown existential crisis in its summer best and sends it to the beach. This Glasgow solo architect, Jacob, has constructed a Trojan horse of a track, all propulsive indie rock guitars and a pop-punk chorus so immediate it feels like you’ve known...

TOUCAN – “Cool Side of the Pillow” There’s an immediate sensation here, isn’t there? Like slipping into perfectly temperatured water, or perhaps finding that elusive cool patch on the linen during a humid night. TOUCAN delivers this single with a smoothness that feels less like a production choice and more like an exhale. The vocals are just tender, carrying the weight of shared quiet...