J. Matthews is a distinctive force in the world of modern pop music. He has created a one-of-a-kind aural environment that speaks to listeners from all different walks of life. His music creates a tapestry of disconnected but united rhapsodies, with each story developing via unique chapters and surprising turns. His music is like a tapestry. J. Matthews, who is a poet and singer at heart,...

Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...