The latest from Jacob and the Starry Eyed Shadows, “Racing on the Back Straight,” performs a fantastic trick: it dresses up a full-blown existential crisis in its summer best and sends it to the beach. This Glasgow solo architect, Jacob, has constructed a Trojan horse of a track, all propulsive indie rock guitars and a pop-punk chorus so immediate it feels like you’ve known...

The carousel on the album cover of Kyle Davis's "Jericho" spins with a blurred intensity, much like the emotional whirlwind captured within its grooves. This seventh studio effort from the Virginia-based singer-songwriter marks not just a reunion with the team behind his acclaimed 1999 Sony debut "Raising Heroes," but a successful artistic rebirth following personal upheaval. Davis plays these eleven songs with the experience of someone...