When you hear the name Stephen Thomas, you might right away think of Charleston, West Virginia, or maybe his own genre name, "Universal" As a label, it does not feel like a neat box. Instead, it feels like an open field where hip-hop and alternative pop music mix. His most recent song, "Breaking Hearts," sounds a lot like that. It utilises sounds from artists like...

Apex4X. Right, let's dive in. "The Fire Within", an album with thirteen tracks; feels like peering into someone's journal, but one that's written in neon ink and scrawled across a storm-ridden sky. It’s not a straight path, this emotional rollercoaster, more like a particularly scenic, but also slightly terrifying, cliffside drive. The whole thing drips with this fascinating paradox - personal pain delivered with...