NYRE, a name that might conjure up images of a misplaced Scrabble tile, delivers something far more resonant than random letters with their new EP, "Avoidant." It’s a four-track dive into the deep end of heartbreak, the kind that leaves you feeling like you’ve accidentally swallowed a handful of gravel and regret. I can’t help but think of those old grainy black and white...

When d'Z & Bernadette Dengler (featuring Chris Korzec) unleashed "Shout!", it hit me less like a typical single and more like a sudden, necessary nervous system reset. The track, a collaboration spanning the Netherlands and Austria, carries the dense, sophisticated DNA of Steely Dan but decides to wear it to a raucous block party hosted by The Brand New Heavies. https://open.spotify.com/album/58VJ9SBgyY7Mr1vHP69juG?si=gnsjycqTRkKz57cAMDwRwg d'Z anchors the vessel with...