You hit play, and immediately, the atmosphere shifts. Boey does not waste time easing you into his new album, "The False Prince". The Ipoh-born, UK-based singer-songwriter grabs your attention by doing the exact opposite of what you expect. Instead of loud, aggressive anthems about the state of society, he offers a masterclass in quiet intensity. This 13-track record is a bold, beautiful exploration of modern...

Robin James Hurt’s “A Song, A Story Told” arrives with a sound you can almost run a thumb over, like worn corduroy. In an age of sterile, diamond-polished productions, this album is a defiantly handmade thing, tracked onto vintage cassette machines. The result is not a flaw, but an ingredient. A faint, persistent hiss breathes alongside the instruments, a ghost in the machine who...