The internet has transformed the way we experience the world, but with constant connection has come a new kind of pressure.  “Rise” composed by Kate Stanford explores that uneasy reality, looking at the anxiety, hostility and separation that can grow in a culture shaped by timelines, trending topics and endless digital conversations. At a time when outrage can travel faster than understanding, “Rise” feels particularly relevant....

There's a curious jolt in hearing a title like "Us Against The World" from an act called The Cockney Cowboy. The name itself is a glorious contradiction, a pairing of gritty East London reality with the wide-open romance of Nashville. You half expect a joke, but what Justin Vella delivers is a dead-serious, straight-shooting country ballad that smells less of hay bales and more...