Kevin Driscoll’s debut single, “Black It Out,” doesn’t so much introduce a new artist as it kicks open the door to a room mid-deconstruction. You’re immediately in the thick of it, dust in the air, surrounded by the emotional wreckage of something that was clearly, once, a home. https://open.spotify.com/track/02int8lfeW6gHlW85zb9Le?si=VphHuhmKSE68wTx4ebJ9ew That promised “catchy rhythmic guitar” has a beautifully troubled energy. It’s not a hook that invites you...

There’s a curious sort of old-soul gravity to Amelina’s single, “Step by Step,” one that defies the pop-rock sheen and the artist’s young age. The track opens with a resolute, almost stern, string and piano line that feels less like an invitation to a party and more like the sound of someone tying their shoelaces before a long journey. This is the sound of...