Ava Valianti represents something increasingly rare in contemporary music: genuine precocity without artifice. This Massachusetts artist, who is only fifteen years old, handles general themes with a level of emotional depth that is shocking. She shows that youth can bring out the best in complicated human experiences, rather than hiding them. "Distant," her sixth single, functions as a sonic archaeology of friendship's dissolution. The track excavates layers...

You know that feeling when a song drops and the entire room just stops talking? That is exactly what happens the second you hit play on the new Layla Kaylif record. It is a full-body experience that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go. The energy is thick, heavy, and completely hypnotic right from the jump. The opening track pulls you in...