A house can be made from wood, stone, tin, red soil, or memory. In music, it can also be made from strings, shared breath, and the small pauses that let one culture listen to another without rushing to answer. Karoo's debut EP, "Casa", carries that feeling with quiet confidence. The title points toward home, but the record treats home as a living idea rather than...

Jacob Barrett completely dismantles the illusion of composure on his stunning new single, "Here I Go Again." At first blush, the San Francisco multi-instrumentalist sets up a relatively subdued, rhythmic bounce. It feels like measured, perfectly pleasant indie pop. https://open.spotify.com/track/4YHQAeYRcroBAogGz5iGFY?si=da5f0ca325ad4cc4 But that steady facade is incredibly fragile. The lyrics dive headfirst into the messy, alienating reality of living with a chronic illness. Barrett captures the specific...