Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...

While Brooklyn, New York has given the world many great musicians, Nicholas Dante is the best of them all. Dante is queer and works as a singer, songwriter, and producer. By mixing high-concept concepts with cinema and history music, he tells difficult stories through his music. The name of Dante's first solo album is "Inferno," and it's not just an album; it's an experience. It's an...