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...

SHAB channels survival itself on her new single, "Skin & Bones". The Persian American artist, a former refugee who rebuilt her life to become a prominent advocate for displaced persons globally, delivers something completely fascinating here. Born in the terrifying aftermath of her partner’s severe car crash, you might anticipate a heavy, mourning dirge. Instead, she weaponizes euphoria. https://open.spotify.com/track/6hdR6RTBE4SaYeg0sMg6Q7?si=72acc5770cc14863 The song hits you with an unabashedly...