Cat Mayel's "FREE" arrived, not on a silver platter, but more like a rogue pigeon delivering a very important message – a crumpled napkin with profound scribbles. This Nigerian producer, composer, arranger, and all-around sonic sorceress has served up a single dose of alternative neo-soul that feels… well, free. As free as a shopping cart with a wonky wheel, anyway. It goes where it...

Dryadic opens the door on their new single "Ghosts," and you immediately feel a change in the room’s pressure. The piano chords that introduce the piece, played by frontwoman Zora McDonald, don’t twinkle; they place stones, one by one, creating a path through a grey landscape. Her voice follows, not as a guide trying to cheer you on, but as a determined companion walking...