Listening to the new DownTown Mystic EP, "Mystic Highway", is a bit like finding an old, perfectly worn-in roadmap in the glovebox of a brand new car. It has the feel of something essential, something foundational, yet it’s being used to navigate a landscape of blindingly modern anxieties. Robert Allen, the architect behind this project, isn’t just playing classic rock; he's conducting a seance...

The carousel on the album cover of Kyle Davis's "Jericho" spins with a blurred intensity, much like the emotional whirlwind captured within its grooves. This seventh studio effort from the Virginia-based singer-songwriter marks not just a reunion with the team behind his acclaimed 1999 Sony debut "Raising Heroes," but a successful artistic rebirth following personal upheaval. Davis plays these eleven songs with the experience of someone...