Brit Scoops’ "American Cheese" turns a missed plan, a bad mood and a late drink into invitations to stay at the table a little longer. This 10-track debut puts country, Americana, alt-country and melodic pop-rock in the same room, then lets warmth and melancholy argue over the aux. The result is pitched as funny, tender and just off-kilter enough to keep its heartache from becoming...

Dianne Forte has somehow built a bizarre, joyous bridge between Sunday morning devotion and a vintage arcade console with the instrumental version of her latest single, "Hallelujah Just Keep Your Heads Up Now". I anticipated the gentle cadence of her North Carolina gospel roots. Instead, the self-taught organist handed me a soundtrack for a sun-drenched, high-speed drive down a pixelated coastline. https://open.spotify.com/album/6GStrr1WiKEWJaAkuWYX5K?si=AOhyiEbXR1iGjVkwFtTIVQ The sheer, unrestrained energy...