Listening to Shotgun Driver’s new EP, “Jester Privileges”, is like finding a glitter bomb in a padded cell. The four songs present a disorienting, strangely compelling contradiction. On the surface, the alt-pop framework pulses with an upbeat, almost defiant energy; this is the slick, rock-tinged anxiety of a Machine Gun Kelly track built for open-road brooding. But beneath it, the narrative, carried by those...

The New Citizen Kane offers a curious, glittering confection with the new single "Ratbag Joy," and it’s a listen that feels a bit like dancing with a ghost at a warehouse party. On the surface, it’s all neon-slicked indie dance propulsion; a beat that tugs at your shoulders and synth hooks polished to a mirror shine, perfectly engineered for the hazy bliss of 2...