Growing up changes the meaning of a late night. The Mack Brothers seize that feeling on “Sleepless in Seattle,” an indie rock single from Philadelphia brothers John and Matthew Mackara. The title comes from John’s own phrase for those anxious, can’t-switch-off hours, and the song’s stated concern is the friction between the past and the present. That premise hits hard because it is familiar without being...

Kent Owens, a name that sounds like it should be on a library card next to “Hemingway,” but instead it's on the digital shelf next to my slightly messy playlist. This Cambridge-based creator of soundscapes – I’m resisting calling them songs, but…well – just released “Fade Away,” a single that feels like an open window after a long winter. It’s a soft rock hum...