The Toronto Hood Pop artist Ekelle turns self-worth into a sleek, dance-ready reset with help from producer Audio Gibbs. Ekelle does not tiptoe out of a bad situation on "(Turn Me) Loose". She throws on confidence, checks the mirror, and makes the exit feel like a party that started without the person who failed to value her. The Toronto rapper, singer, and songwriter has built her...

Earl Patrick pivots sharply away from his usual indie-folk and guitar-driven comfort zones for his newest release, the wildly inventive album "Conditioned By Machines". The Portland, Oregon-based composer, singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has spent over two decades building a dense, eight-album catalog. Here, however, he entirely flips the script. Feeling that classical flute music too often prioritizes gesture over pure melody, he set out...