Owen Young’s “Three” EP is like finding a worn, familiar photograph in an old box, only to discover the person in the picture is wearing a lampshade. It’s deeply personal, yet jarringly relevant to the world spinning outside my window. We are dealing with themes of impermanence, the kind that makes you check if the stove is off, twice, every time. You can tell...

Turning thirty can pull the past suddenly close. Zo Burton gives that feeling a patient pulse on “space” his debut contemporary R&B single. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, producer and musician sits with the people, relationships and experiences that marked his twenties, then asks how they might remain present as life changes. It is a slow-burning introduction with warmth enough to draw listeners in and restraint enough to...