When 7Z MAXI released his latest single, "Back From The Dead", the collision between the unforgiving pavement and the holy pulpit feels surprisingly organic. The Philadelphia-based solo artist, sometimes operating as Holy Boy Maxi, is tunneling straight back to the gritty, nostalgic energy of 2012 underground drill music. He is handing down a heavy, paradox-laden survival guide directed at the youth navigating treacherous environments...

Listening to Cat Cork’s "Simple Song" is a funny thing; the title is a clever piece of misdirection, a plain brown wrapper on a package containing an entire life. This isn't some breezy, three-chord singalong for a lazy afternoon. It’s the sonic equivalent of discovering a shipwright’s meticulously drafted blueprint, detailing the construction of a human spirit from the first plank of childhood to...