Ultan’s single, "The Tempest," erupts not so much into the room as it does through the floorboards, dragging with it the scent of wet wool and imminent confrontation. This Dublin solo musician, a cartographer of past agonies, presents an energetic rock piece that feels less like a song about history and more like a fragment of it, throbbing and urgent. The main riff careers...

With the passage of time, it becomes increasingly important to have quiet time and space in which to process complex ideas. You must honor that under any circumstances. Having said that, Cullen Jack is hoping that things will get back to normal and that he will be fine even if you don't end up going. He sings about this and other related issues in his new...