James Keen's 'Crossover': A Solo Triumph Blending Pop-Rock Mastery with Acoustic Soul Award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer James Keen goes back to his roots with a truly solo 'Crossover' album that he wrote, recorded, performed, produced, and mixed all by himself. The album is just as ambitious in terms of the richness of the musical landscape, the mixing of genres, and the variety of sounds. 'Crossover,' which...

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...