Cat Mayel's "FREE" arrived, not on a silver platter, but more like a rogue pigeon delivering a very important message – a crumpled napkin with profound scribbles. This Nigerian producer, composer, arranger, and all-around sonic sorceress has served up a single dose of alternative neo-soul that feels… well, free. As free as a shopping cart with a wonky wheel, anyway. It goes where it...

Stephen H. Cumberbatch, also known as C’batch, has released the "Next Time (I Won’t Be Falling)" EP, an obsessively multifaceted autopsy of romantic relapse. Reimagining the exact same song across four distinct genres is a fascinating choice. Frankly, it perfectly mirrors the cyclical trap his lyrics describe: swearing off that one fiercely magnetic person, only to slide helplessly right back into their orbit. We...