There is a peculiar friction to the digital textures of Skylarka and her new album, "Somnorine". It’s supposed to be chiptune-influenced synthwave, but listening to it feels less like browsing the internet and more like chewing on aluminum foil while watching Blade Runner on a CRT monitor that’s slowly degaussing. It’s a sensory contradiction bright, crystalline pop hooks wrestling with the deep, existential dread...

There is a wonderful, almost jarring friction in the fact that Headmaster delivers the soaring indie-pop of "Seasons Vol.4, Spring" while navigating his day job as an Executive Headteacher and CEO in London. Most folks navigating institutional leadership slowly calcify, yet here he is, translating the messy trajectory of human evolution into bright melodic hooks all while raising money for health charities. As the...