The Madrid-based singer-songwriter Elif Coskun turns a soft, cinematic alt-pop single into a clear-eyed hit of memory, forgiveness, and emotional honesty. Some songs hit because they say the messy thing before you are ready to admit it. Elif Coskun's "The Hardest Part" does exactly that, then lets the feeling hang there. This cinematic single from the Madrid-based singer-songwriter, shocks through care, not anger. That may sound...

Janet Devlin’s new single, “Houston,” arrives as a gleeful contradiction, a two-stepping Americana anthem for the sovereign state of one. It has all the upbeat, country-rock fixings for a roadside sing-along, yet its heart is miles away, floating in a self-imposed, wonderfully stubborn vacuum. The track opens, and you’re ready for a communal good time; instead, you find yourself at a party where the...