"America" from Dave Clark drops like a chipped ceramic mug onto a linoleum floor, not exactly a bang but you feel the thud. It's not about sparkly flag-waving; that much is clear from the first plucky guitar notes. It’s a story woven in threadbare folk chords and tinged with the static hum of some plugged-in grief. https://open.spotify.com/track/7nSYreI8IQDkOgvGjTvjwy?si=bbfaa8073f824d01 There's a man in this track, though you never...

With his career-spanning album "Blue Without You", Pete Scales steps out of the shadows to offer a mesmerizing look into a mind permanently tuned to the strange frequencies of human connection. For over half a century, the retired psychologist, vocalist, and guitarist has mostly floated through the musical periphery. https://open.spotify.com/album/5c4EPzrnH1GnaKJHI2pPGJ?si=LbrNFPuVRwiuwgaTmkt8_w He played the coffeehouse circuit, brushed past the Grand Ole Opry, and leaned into contemporary Christian...