TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, "Easy Street". The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret. https://open.spotify.com/album/6wLvX4vix5YygVOuQ7039p?si=aasK_0XHSAmhDNLFrh-aUw The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic...

Aleutians’ new single, "Osiris," arrives sounding for all the world like a breezy afternoon on the coast, jangly and familiar. The New Brighton project creates the sort of wistful guitar pop that should be soundtracking a montage of fondly-remembered mistakes. But then you catch the words, and the cheerful tide turns into something much colder, pulling you out from a safe shore. https://open.spotify.com/track/627Ecj7hDLFbdo6keMsoiy?si=e23e5a17cef24947 The whole affair...