Max Norton confronts the quiet sting of fading memory on his luminous new single, “Dark Moon.” Operating out of his home studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the longtime drummer handles every instrument himself, weaving western-tinted indie rock and dream pop into an expansive sonic tapestry. There is a tangible craft in the way his live rhythm section anchors the piece driving forward with a...

Casey McQuillen’s single “Better” arrives not with a bang, but with the quiet, decisive click of a well-made lock securing a door. It’s pop music, certainly, groomed and gleaming, yet beneath the surface bubbles a fierce kind of self-possession that’s less about demanding attention and more about curating who gets past the velvet rope of your own contentment. Coming from someone known for empowerment...