Obi Alfred is bringing old R&B to a new audience and serving as a torchbearer for the genre. Born in New Jersey and bred in Texas, the Nigerian-American’s unique approach pays respect to the titans of the genre while pushing into daring, current terrain. Now, with the most captivating songs of his early career, Obi is establishing himself as one of the most significant emerging talents...

Inochka’s new single, "Intertwined," is the auditory equivalent of noticing the dust motes dancing in a single ray of late-afternoon sun, realizing an entire day has passed you by. This is music that occupies a space, filling the quiet corners of a room with a kind of beautiful, bruised resignation. The track drifts in on a bed of lo-fi atmosphere and gentle guitar, carrying...