Some tracks do not ask for your attention politely; they kick the door off the hinges and demand you listen. That is exactly what happens the moment you hit play on "So Close," the latest alternative rock single from New York City's own Kim McClay. It hits with the same sudden, dizzying clarity as seeing your ex post a hard launch on Instagram. You know...

A breakup can make a person feel certain for a day, then doubtful again by nightfall. Brenna Menz gives that unstable cycle room to breathe on “Shattered Perspectives”, her debut concept pop album. The Seattle singer-songwriter follows a complicated, two-plus-year on-and-off relationship through changing points of view, letting the record move with the feelings instead of forcing them into one final answer. The central story is...