The new single from Slovakian DIY architect H-dMan Such, “Empty Phrases,” begins with a sound that feels both familiar and askew, like a classic car sputtering on the wrong kind of fuel. There's a sun-bleached Britrock swagger in the guitar work, a confident strut down a familiar road. https://open.spotify.com/track/4tG7pp3IFwp9rQZSNjzMZL?si=EzYN3PMTRVi5vnvURkbF-w But something is swirling just beneath the surface, a psychedelic shimmer that hints at engine trouble, or...

Right. So, Lillestrøm. Norway. Land of… well, apparently, intensely yearning folk-rock anthems now. Thomas And The Angry Hearts, shepherded into existence by Ronni Le Tekrø (of TNT fame, remember explosions?), have dropped "It's You," and the title isn't kidding. The whole thing is an extended, sometimes dizzying, ode to someone. https://open.spotify.com/track/29tj0tp8ydyTqXWuzvWEzv?si=7jGWO1lfQGWrz21iFr4kgA This isn't a casual, "hey, you're nice" kind of thing. This is full-blown, operatic (in...