Listening to Daddy Drwg's latest single, "Black Thread", feels like suddenly realizing you've been clenching your jaw for an hour. Welsh songwriter and producer Richard Proctor operates this solo project with a startling level of emotional rawness, crafting a brooding alternative anti-ballad that permanently sinks into the floorboards of your mind. https://open.spotify.com/track/0FIH5Lpz4bq86U2SpO3Trn?si=9c3851518e704637 The song heavily examines endurance and sheer psychological gravity. You hear the suffocating residue...

When you hear the name Stephen Thomas, you might right away think of Charleston, West Virginia, or maybe his own genre name, "Universal" As a label, it does not feel like a neat box. Instead, it feels like an open field where hip-hop and alternative pop music mix. His most recent song, "Breaking Hearts," sounds a lot like that. It utilises sounds from artists like...