Listening to RIOT SON’s new single, “Loneliest at Best,” is a curious exercise in emotional time-travel. The sound pulls you back to the early 2000s, to a time of angular guitars and heartfelt, frayed-collar vocals. It has that nervous, shimmering energy of indie rock that always sounded best on a pair of wired headphones, the beat prodding you forward even as the lyrics confess...

ORCH, the introspective artiste quietly building a universe of sound and meaning, releases his latest single with both fists open. Titled “Oyibo Instructions”, the song directly confronts the psychological and cultural chains people choose to wear, urging listeners to question internalized forms of oppression. Following the reflective warmth of “Wonder” and the introspective sincerity of “No Matter The Mood”, ORCH has not abandoned his central...