Water Street's "Alone in a Crowded Place" – Have you ever felt like a sock in a washing machine, tumbled and spun with no real control? That’s kind of the vibe Water Street throws down in their new 8-track EP. This New Jersey indie outfit – Dave Paulson, Alex Kerssen, Brendon Gardner, Connor Konecik, Edward Woodcock, and Julia Aiello – are churning out a...

Amara-Fe has definitively shifted from the messy business of becoming into the absolute certainty of claiming with her new album, "A Queen’s Ambition". The rising solo artist, tethered to deep musical roots extending through Mission and Dallas, Texas, arrives fully formed here. There is a palpable weight to her cinematic R&B and electropop arrangements. You can almost feel her surveying her territory, setting borders,...