TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, "Easy Street". The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret. https://open.spotify.com/album/6wLvX4vix5YygVOuQ7039p?si=aasK_0XHSAmhDNLFrh-aUw The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic...

Right, so Georgian composer Tornike Tabatadze, under the name Sizmara, presents this single track, "Mimosa". Not the brunch drink, mind you, though maybe it shares a certain bright quietude? No, this is aiming for the stars. Literally. It’s intended as a sonic voyage through cosmic elegance – galaxies, all that jazz. https://open.spotify.com/album/38KLyFscia2WN36fsUOVSQ Tabatadze merges classical piano sensibilities, though subtly here, with these breathing ambient layers. It’s...