Rhythm Pals’ new single, ‘Lookin’ Good,’ shimmied into my listening rotation, and honestly, it’s got the kind of bounce that could coax a smile from a particularly grumpy badger. These two dads, one musician, one animator, have concocted a pop-funk confection that’s as bright and immediate as a freshly opened box of crayons. Pure kid fuel, this. https://open.spotify.com/track/4vKkjfjgVFUgsbkArYE07b?si=3c4e041c48c249e1 The track champions the noble art of dressing...

Listening to Violet Whimsey’s new EP, “PERSEPHONE,” is a bit like finding an antique music box that only plays minor chords. You wind it up, expecting a delicate tune, but what emerges is something far more shadowed, intricate, and possessed of a strange, chilling beauty. This is dark pop that doesn’t just brood; it excavates. https://open.spotify.com/album/0mrzzMpWVM7kKEWam6vTQP?si=D4ysByaOQCOEwElRdWm0Bg The collection is a descent, a guided tour through various...