Matt Nation drops "April’s Fool," and I am instantly struck by the sheer exhaustion of loving a hologram. The Brooklyn-born, LA-based artist has a knack for dissolving the borders between alt-pop, R&B, and nu-disco, but here, he channels a soul-stirring pop-punk urgency through a laid-back, indie-pop filter. https://open.spotify.com/track/7rPHpg1lXMiQFFuuIX9ZT5 It is a strange, brilliant contrast. A melancholic chord loop cycles endlessly, creating a flowing foundation for Nation's...

Some tracks refuse to ask for your attention politely; they kick the door off the hinges instead. That is exactly what happens when you press play on 'Father Time & Mother Nature'. Texas singer-songwriter Clay DuBose is back after a twenty-year break, and he brought the heat with him. This is not a quiet, acoustic reflection on getting older. It is a full-throttle Americana rock record...