Hamilton Hound's "Graves" isn't something you just hear, it sort of happens to you, like finding a forgotten photograph in an old book. Ian Hamilton, this voice navigating the echoes of a working-class upbringing, doesn't sing so much as share secrets whispered over a chipped mug of tea. Liz Arcane’s voice weaves in like a contrasting thread, adding a subtle but important texture. It’s...

Before listening to a single note of Suris’ new album, “Pertinax”, I spent a few minutes just looking at the word. Pertinax. It has the distinct ring of a Stoic philosopher’s last defiant utterance or maybe a type of beetle known for its unusually stubborn shell. What a curious flag to fly for a collection of songs in an age of fleeting distraction. But...