When the Ukrainian alternative pop singer Janeuary launches into her latest single "Undress My Heart", you immediately feel an involuntary need to check if your own emotional deadbolts are securely fastened. Unzipping a jacket or dropping a shirt to the floor is purely mechanical. It is the easy, predictable choreography of human attraction. Peeling back the ego to let another human actually gaze upon...

Jacob Barrett completely dismantles the illusion of composure on his stunning new single, "Here I Go Again." At first blush, the San Francisco multi-instrumentalist sets up a relatively subdued, rhythmic bounce. It feels like measured, perfectly pleasant indie pop. https://open.spotify.com/track/4YHQAeYRcroBAogGz5iGFY?si=da5f0ca325ad4cc4 But that steady facade is incredibly fragile. The lyrics dive headfirst into the messy, alienating reality of living with a chronic illness. Barrett captures the specific...