"Country Dreams," the new album from Soul Provider, arrived... and, well, it didn't arrive on a golden chariot pulled by unicorns. It just showed up. Sixteen tracks of pure, unadulterated country – or, at least, that's what they're calling it. There is a lot of Americana in it. There's a definite flavor, a sort of sonic stew of love, loss, hope, and resilience. Think...

I confess, my first encounter with MAAME’s new single, “Daydreaming,” was one of deceptive serenity. Here is a track that slides into your awareness with such poise, a self-assured piece of modern R&B that knows its way around a groove. It’s only on the second pass that you realize the serene space it creates is filled with a low, anxious hum—the sound of a...