Independent multi-instrumentalist Cheryl Craigie has returned with a synth-pop cover of the classic soul staple, "What's Going On". Performing every vocal line and instrument herself, Craigie reinterprets the iconic plea for peace through a distinctly electronic lens. https://open.spotify.com/album/5koCGV86w9A29rvROrYlF8?si=J54YA8O4S9aGeTGOHFJmkA The performance rests on a bizarrely fascinating contrast. Craigie’s voice rolls smoothly through undulating, soulful phrases, carrying a desperate message about war, brutality, and systemic hatred. Yet beneath...

With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...