It’s strange to think about silence as a form of noise, isn’t it? The kind that fills a room after you've heard something so emotionally dense, anything else feels obnoxious. That’s the type of quiet that "Not Turning Back" by Baylee Dowling leaves behind. It’s not the silence of emptiness, but the kind where something just sank deep into your chest, and you need...

Okay, let’s tumble into Apryll Aileen's “Under My Tree,” shall we? It’s not your grandma’s sleigh-bell jingler, not by a long shot. Aileen, this classically-trained pianist, decides to cloak herself in a Christmas-themed R&B haze, like wrapping a finely-made watch in soft flannel. It’s the kind of thing that makes you tilt your head. https://open.spotify.com/track/6BBE2fTRte3f7HW7NZkTwm?si=JDkhIyolRLeIJS9r8m7PVA The song feels like staring at a snow globe, the tiny...