Sometimes the heaviest thing you can carry is the art you stopped making. Brendan Ranney knows exactly how that feels, having traded his guitar for the demands of daily life almost two decades ago. Now, the Southern California indie singer-songwriter is back with his debut solo album, "Slightly Out of Focus". Sparked by finding his late father's poetry, this record is a raw, guitar-driven reflection on...

Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...