Some songs hit you right in the chest before you even realize what is happening. Prem Byrne’s latest single, "Three Words," is exactly that kind of track. It grabs your attention not with loud production or flashy gimmicks, but with a raw, undeniable honesty that demands to be heard. The independent singer-songwriter from Marin County, California, has built a reputation for crafting music that feels...

Before listening to a single note of Suris’ new album, “Pertinax”, I spent a few minutes just looking at the word. Pertinax. It has the distinct ring of a Stoic philosopher’s last defiant utterance or maybe a type of beetle known for its unusually stubborn shell. What a curious flag to fly for a collection of songs in an age of fleeting distraction. But...