Rachel Swain has spent two decades moving through the roots music scene, but with her debut solo album "Neon Lullaby", she finally takes the absolute center of the stage. Blending her Texas country foundation with the stubborn grit of Chicago, Swain delivers a record that feels strangely like walking into a dimly lit bar immediately after a spectacular, life-altering breakup. https://open.spotify.com/album/4N0yl76UGcGaokaDZCG9p4?si=NNBBTsB5STKIvR6cWEVChw There is a very specific,...

This is the kind of breakup track that checks your pulse before you have time to act fine. Drew Swords comes in hot on "Better Without Me?", a 3:32 indie rock single that turns one ugly little question into a full-body rush: what if someone really did get happier after you left? That thought can ruin a perfectly good afternoon. It can also make a chorus...