Novozero. Anna and Andreas, up there in Tromsø, sending out signals. This single, "To All The Times," arrives sounding less like a postcard from the Arctic Circle and more like a transmission intercepted from a satellite caught between decades. There’s a definite gravity here – fuzz bass anchoring washes of synth that shimmer and pulse, guitars that chime before they roar. It’s big rock...

Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...