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...

There is a certain kind of song that seems to exist outside of time. It is a song that could have been a hit in any decade, a song that speaks to a fundamental human experience. Ferdinand Rennie’s “Unbelieving Eyes” is one of those songs. A sweeping pop ballad with a heart of gold, it is a song that is both instantly familiar and refreshingly...