There is a peculiar friction to the digital textures of Skylarka and her new album, "Somnorine". It’s supposed to be chiptune-influenced synthwave, but listening to it feels less like browsing the internet and more like chewing on aluminum foil while watching Blade Runner on a CRT monitor that’s slowly degaussing. It’s a sensory contradiction bright, crystalline pop hooks wrestling with the deep, existential dread...

It's... a sunbeam through a raincloud, isn't it? That’s the initial feeling, anyway. Hal St John and Cherrie Anderson, the British-Filipino duo known as Ooberfuse, have delivered a track that bounces between vibrant pop and something a bit more globally aware. This song feels less like a commercial, and it might just be the flavor needed to add a punch. I was doing some...