James Keen's 'Crossover': A Solo Triumph Blending Pop-Rock Mastery with Acoustic Soul Award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer James Keen goes back to his roots with a truly solo 'Crossover' album that he wrote, recorded, performed, produced, and mixed all by himself. The album is just as ambitious in terms of the richness of the musical landscape, the mixing of genres, and the variety of sounds. 'Crossover,' which...

Violet Love has offered up an EP titled "Destined to Fail," and it arrives less like a prediction and more like a pre-existing condition, a medical chart for a soul that’s been diagnosed with itself. The DIY recording quality doesn’t feel lo-fi for aesthetics; it feels necessary, like these songs could only have been born in a sealed-off room where the air was getting...