Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...

There is a specific, illicit thrill in turning off your alarm clock on a Tuesday just to watch the dust motes dance in the sunlight, and John Nicholas captures that exact frequency of rebellion in "Today With You". It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from him, and this return feels less like a polite knock and more like a friend throwing a pebble...