Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

Ben Hutcheson is an up-and-coming performer in the country rock genre, and he hails from the aesthetically beautiful South West area of England. His music is characterised by a strong sense of promise. He is a prime example of the new breed of English singer-songwriters who are well-positioned to have a substantial influence on the way current music is perceived and created. Ben Hutcheson, who was...