The Austin-based songwriter Alex Winters turns the terrifying act of emotional surrender into a towering alt-rock confession. There is a specific kind of silence that occupies a room right before a heavy truth is spoken aloud. It is thick, suffocating, and entirely self-imposed. We build fortresses out of our past traumas, stacking bricks of deflection and mortar of avoidance to guarantee nothing can ever hurt us...

She gives off an air of seriousness and composure when singing, but her performance belies the depth of feeling she channels. A new song by the French singer and songwriter Naya, named "Vaguémo," has been released recently. The song is about melancholy and being on one's alone. She has a distinctive style—dream pop—and a voice like velvet, so smooth and alluring it captivates as she expertly...