There is a peculiar friction to the digital textures of Skylarka and her new album, "Somnorine". It’s supposed to be chiptune-influenced synthwave, but listening to it feels less like browsing the internet and more like chewing on aluminum foil while watching Blade Runner on a CRT monitor that’s slowly degaussing. It’s a sensory contradiction bright, crystalline pop hooks wrestling with the deep, existential dread...

One such game-changer is Livi Jacobs, a diamond in the rough from Vienna, Austria. We sometimes experience a musical extravaganza that gently changes our view on music and its intrinsic potential, going beyond the bounds of sound and emotion. Jacobs is ready to set the music world ablaze with his unique blend of country's endearing authenticity, rock's edgy rebellion, and folk pop's endearing openness. Vienna, Austria-born Jacobs...