A rubber band ball, meticulously constructed and then unceremoniously dropped, that's what Outside Pedestrian's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" feels like. Not the ball itself, mind you, but the brief, elastic snap of unexpected order being momentarily... let go. We know the Bach tune. It’s a holiday staple, often served up with a side of polite reverence. But here, Anthony Fesmire’s guitar, David Lockeretz’s...

Jane Marie enlists the help of Jessica Mia to deliver the private journey promised by the title "Home"—an experience that listeners can only imagine. The symbolic connection of love to the sensation of "coming home" gives the lyrics a nostalgic and accessible quality, as heard in the song. This imagery paints a picture of a welcoming, familiar place, which indicates that the journey of emotions the...