Julia Kate, a 20-year-old sojourner in the land of melodies (a.k.a. a songwriting student at Berklee), just dropped "fake friends," and my initial reaction was… did a sentient Instagram filter write this? Not in a bad way. More in a "wait, is this the matrix?" way. https://open.spotify.com/album/5x6CaYde9gncmDI5KpIKkQ?si=2gYl_dQ4SFm3vAVffdX5Vg The song’s theme slaps you in the face, gently. It explores how, in our curated, perpetually-online existence, actual connection...

Kevin Driscoll’s debut single, “Black It Out,” doesn’t so much introduce a new artist as it kicks open the door to a room mid-deconstruction. You’re immediately in the thick of it, dust in the air, surrounded by the emotional wreckage of something that was clearly, once, a home. https://open.spotify.com/track/02int8lfeW6gHlW85zb9Le?si=VphHuhmKSE68wTx4ebJ9ew That promised “catchy rhythmic guitar” has a beautifully troubled energy. It’s not a hook that invites you...