Cali Tucker's latest single "Last Name" arrives like a perfectly timed conversation with a friend who finally found their voice. There is no need to carry the weight of famous family or live up to standards. Tucker instead makes something much more personal and meaningful to everyone. The daughter of LaCosta Tucker and niece of country legend Tanya Tucker could have easily leaned into her family's...

With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...