Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

The song by Issy Winstanley is captivating; it has the ideal amount of atmosphere, and her laid-back manner is enticing. Her most recent single, "Never Have I Ever," exemplifies the naivety, fun, and openness that she is known for. Issy's goal with this song is to create an atmosphere in which the listener feels as though they are catching up with an old friend over a...