Listening to Jean-Philippe Ruelle’s new single, “Switeesoul,” is a peculiar kind of eavesdropping. You’re not hearing a sunrise, exactly, but the slow, internal thought process of one coming into being. The track’s layered electronic pianos don't crash into your morning; they seep under the door, a cool wash of ambient sound that feels both deliberate and entirely accidental. It’s music that seems to have...

Steve Young’s latest release, the heavily autobiographical EP "Riffin For A Livin", arrives with the sudden, exhaling relief of a man pulling off a heavy, borrowed uniform. For three decades, the British frontman, main songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist has existed as the dependable anchor in the background. He’s played alongside stars like Darren Hayes and Lionel Richie, and he’s dutifully grinded through an estimated...