Janet Devlin’s new single, “Houston,” arrives as a gleeful contradiction, a two-stepping Americana anthem for the sovereign state of one. It has all the upbeat, country-rock fixings for a roadside sing-along, yet its heart is miles away, floating in a self-imposed, wonderfully stubborn vacuum. The track opens, and you’re ready for a communal good time; instead, you find yourself at a party where the...

Daniel de Boer isn't just making tunes; he's orchestrating miniature global summits set to music. "The Turnaround," his EP, does not really feel like a collection of songs. Instead, it is more like a rack of postcards from faraway friends, all sent from a studio in Berlin. Produced alongside Shakthi Prasad, this six-track offering pulls together musicians from an impressive roster of nations – Russia, Argentina,...