Rachael Sage & The Sequins do not let “Canopy (Acoustic)” treat refuge as a soft-focus idea. Their third single ahead of "Under My Canopy" puts a social argument at the centre of an acoustic Americana-pop frame, centring radical inclusivity, non-violence and environmental consciousness. This alt-folk-pop single review considers a reworked song from Canopy that asks a pointed question: what does safety look like when division is...

There is a peculiar friction to the digital textures of Skylarka and her new album, "Somnorine". It’s supposed to be chiptune-influenced synthwave, but listening to it feels less like browsing the internet and more like chewing on aluminum foil while watching Blade Runner on a CRT monitor that’s slowly degaussing. It’s a sensory contradiction bright, crystalline pop hooks wrestling with the deep, existential dread...