South East London’s Deptford Sound Collective tackles modern apathy head-on with "#StopRunning", an urgently glittering single that dresses political resistance in the irresistible groove of electronic dance pop. It feels strangely therapeutic to hear a heavy demand for societal compassion wrapped up in such a brightly syncopated, uplifting package. https://open.spotify.com/track/3K63bCMpRcwhbbnRNtD27H?si=lebV9XEGQvGqJKVMUAZrMQ Founder and driving force Ray Barron-Woolford leads this sprawling assembly of artists and campaigners into the...

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...