Allyson Whitmell's "Crack in My Window" arrived in my inbox, and honestly, my first thought was, "Is this the soundtrack to a particularly poignant cat food commercial?" But then, of course – because life loves a good plot twist – it wasn't. https://open.spotify.com/album/7lNXzGxooWZNRYKxSusY3q?si=isdinrQoRwi-yVmYTMH4fA It is, in reality, Whitmell taking a swan dive into the murky waters of nostalgia, grief, and that weird feeling you get when...

It's outstanding to honor those who have made significant contributions to society. Great people ought to be honored in every way possible. The motivation behind Mariaa Siga's "Mame Bamba" tribute to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba is obvious, but there are other reasons for the song's existence as well. Poet, brave resistance fighter, and nonviolent theist Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba founded the Mouridist and Touba movements. That aspect of...