Maraad’s new album, “BUFF”, is a strange and beautiful paradox, an object forged in the very fire it’s meant to protect you from. Each track is presented as a "buff," a bit of protective magic for the spirit, but the energy humming underneath feels less like a polished shield and more like the faint, determined glow around a figure in a centuries-old altarpiece—somehow both...

Independent multi-instrumentalist Cheryl Craigie has returned with a synth-pop cover of the classic soul staple, "What's Going On". Performing every vocal line and instrument herself, Craigie reinterprets the iconic plea for peace through a distinctly electronic lens. https://open.spotify.com/album/5koCGV86w9A29rvROrYlF8?si=J54YA8O4S9aGeTGOHFJmkA The performance rests on a bizarrely fascinating contrast. Craigie’s voice rolls smoothly through undulating, soulful phrases, carrying a desperate message about war, brutality, and systemic hatred. Yet beneath...