Listening to Sons of Martha's new single, "Samurai Smile," feels a bit like finding a beautiful, slightly unnerving porcelain doll tucked away in a toolbox – all sharp edges and unexpected fragility. This North London outfit promised a harder sound, and they deliver; guitars chew and churn with a satisfying grit reminiscent of early '90s Manchester swagger, but filtered through a distinctly modern unease....

Angelo Ceriani's new album, "Lofi Weather," arrives not with a bang, but like a slow-moving front rolling in off Lake Maggiore, where I imagine his Somma Lombardo studio might catch the changing light. These ten instrumental pieces, curated from two decades of Ceriani simply making music (1995-2015, no less!), feel less like a planned collection and more like leafing through someone’s sonic sketchbook, found...