Shawn Brown’s EP, "Into the Furious Light," doesn’t slip quietly into the stream of modern indie-folk releases; it instead cups its hands around your soul like you’re a candle in danger of flickering out. The Portland troubadour crafts songs that feel like fragments of conversations—maybe ones you walked in on too late or letters unsent to someone dear but no longer near. You’re never...

We have heard a lot of love songs, but this one has a distinct vibe—something you will hear for yourself after you listen to it. An exciting fusion of rhythmic African rhythms and soulful vocals, Kurtys's new single "Joha" narrates a love story with a significant woman. The songs are Afrobeat and R&B. Afrobeat components combined with catchy grooves give the song depth of feeling, and...