50mething, the 58-year-old British independent solo artist, confronts global horror with disarming brightness on his jarring new single, "Gaza (on and on and on)". Hailing from Ealing, Paul Jenner an ex-dancer and former garden builder operating from his DIY home studio crafts story-based music that speaks directly to structural injustice. Here, he takes the endless, agonizing cycle of war and deliberately sneaks it inside...

By eliminating potential sources of distraction, he succeeded in his goal of making this song compelling and interesting. The new single "Cherry," featuring the seductive singing of French vocalist Kenri Louis, is the fruit of his labor. The audience is more likely to be transported into another world when listening to music that mixes sensuality and captivating vocals. That's the song's first redeeming feature. Deep understanding is...