Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...

SLAPPER’s latest instrumental single, "We Kept The Night," hits the nervous system like a sudden memory of a teenage curfew completely ignored. Created by solo artist Claudiu-Gabriel Tache, the Romanian electronic project weaves an energetic, neon-tinted atmosphere that entirely bypasses the brain and aims straight for your heartbeat. https://open.spotify.com/album/1ViBUUSpof7UkZSeG3yiFA?si=aGe4DzAbRm627r-Gwjhv3Q The melody is intensely bright. Bouncy, rapidly played ascending and descending notes dance relentlessly over a steady,...