Listening to Violet Whimsey’s new EP, “PERSEPHONE,” is a bit like finding an antique music box that only plays minor chords. You wind it up, expecting a delicate tune, but what emerges is something far more shadowed, intricate, and possessed of a strange, chilling beauty. This is dark pop that doesn’t just brood; it excavates. https://open.spotify.com/album/0mrzzMpWVM7kKEWam6vTQP?si=D4ysByaOQCOEwElRdWm0Bg The collection is a descent, a guided tour through various...

The Canadian-born NYC alt-pop artist Tori Lord  turns a bad act into a sleek, dark pop single with bite, poise, and replay value. "Conman" has the energy of watching someone’s perfect online persona glitch live. One second, the smile is glossy. The next, the lighting is too bright, the story does not add up, and Tori Lord is already two steps ahead. This new single from...