Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...

The Norwegian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tonje Gravningsmyhr turns loss, self-love, identity and imposter syndrome into a thoughtful pop album 'Maze' shaped by horns, patient craft and grown-up honesty. In the old stories of labyrinths, the monster is rarely the only danger. The greater fear is the corridor that looks familiar, the turn that repeats itself, the small panic of trying to remember who you were...