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...

Pascal Grandjean's "Karma Beyond Death" isn't just another hard rock record, nor is it simply a rock pop jaunt. It’s more like a sprawling, philosophical conversation conducted at ear-splitting volume and then softened by quieter reflections. Imagine Pythagoras decided to pick up an electric guitar after contemplating the secrets of numbers – that’s kind of the vibe here. https://open.spotify.com/album/0DJUix0UIeFkhtMKWJFGLu?si=yiLx1d1yRTWGx6emdf0CoA Grandjean grapples with those eternal head-scratchers: Why...