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...

TOUCAN – “Cool Side of the Pillow” There’s an immediate sensation here, isn’t there? Like slipping into perfectly temperatured water, or perhaps finding that elusive cool patch on the linen during a humid night. TOUCAN delivers this single with a smoothness that feels less like a production choice and more like an exhale. The vocals are just tender, carrying the weight of shared quiet...