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...

So, Just The Empress delivers “Hypnotized,” and it’s less a command, more a statement of arrival. This track feels built on straight-up, unapologetic self-belief. You hear it immediately – this isn't someone asking for permission. It’s a declaration, laying out a roadmap drawn from personal wins and lessons learned the hard way. https://open.spotify.com/album/5hLYEa0oP0ut5VZiZRUVqZ?si=VL86y4tHTISl5OR9sqde-g The confidence here is… significant. It makes me think of those incredibly intricate...