Before the curtain rises, there is already a contract in place. The room has paid for magic, the performer has learned how to make exhaustion look like sparkle, and every seat carries its own appetite. The front row is the most dangerous place in that exchange because it mistakes closeness for knowledge. It sees the shine on the costume, the mouth forming a smile, the...

NYRE, a name that might conjure up images of a misplaced Scrabble tile, delivers something far more resonant than random letters with their new EP, "Avoidant." It’s a four-track dive into the deep end of heartbreak, the kind that leaves you feeling like you’ve accidentally swallowed a handful of gravel and regret. I can’t help but think of those old grainy black and white...