Ava Valianti represents something increasingly rare in contemporary music: genuine precocity without artifice. This Massachusetts artist, who is only fifteen years old, handles general themes with a level of emotional depth that is shocking. She shows that youth can bring out the best in complicated human experiences, rather than hiding them. "Distant," her sixth single, functions as a sonic archaeology of friendship's dissolution. The track excavates layers...

"Cuentito," a single from Tone Ranger (Alex Simon) collaborating with Vecinoz (Tati Bohorquez and Giovan Michael), shimmers like heat rising off desert sand. It’s Latin-Pop, but with an insistent pulse that makes you want to move, even if you’re sitting in a dentist's waiting room. I wonder, are dentist waiting rooms a type of desert? They certainly feel that way sometimes. https://open.spotify.com/album/2JRCJZRRBjXI9IufqMHjIc?si=r3H7zIm7SdyCp3P2ESWs3Q The lyrics, drawing inspiration...