By eliminating potential sources of distraction, he succeeded in his goal of making this song compelling and interesting. The new single "Cherry," featuring the seductive singing of French vocalist Kenri Louis, is the fruit of his labor. The audience is more likely to be transported into another world when listening to music that mixes sensuality and captivating vocals. That's the song's first redeeming feature. Deep understanding is...

Sam Lewis’s "Juan Garcia" isn’t a song that arrives with a fanfare; it feels more like a figure glimpsed in the twilight, carrying an invisible weight, and you instinctively lean in. Lewis, an artist who often paints with warmer, feel-good Americana hues, here offers something starker, a ballad stripped to its bones, letting his soul-stirring vocals do the heavy lifting – and heavens, do...