RISE dropped their frantic single, "Always," marking an intensely energized, fiercely passionate turn for the Liverpool quartet. Known for splicing high-tempo melodic rock with sharp pop-punk and progressive rock flourishes, the dynamic four-piece construct a heavy, wildly distorted, and relentlessly rhythmic foundation here. https://open.spotify.com/track/70t8yCBz4KZqbAzqW05L2z?si=99c7e3a7e6d94d18 Sam Kinley (aka stayMellow) holds it down on bass and lead vocals, locked in step with Alex Mahoney’s furious drumming. Around them,...

Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...