Listening to Amara Fe’s new album, "SHIFT," is a bit like finding a perfectly preserved suit of medieval armor that’s been custom-tailored by a high-fashion house. It is formidable, gleaming, and entirely without apology. Across the sprawling landscape of its 24 tracks, Fe builds a monument to self-belief so solid it could probably withstand a siege. There is no room for doubt in this...

Seema Farswani’s new single, “Under A Blazing Sun,” shimmers in much like that first blast of heat when you step off a plane somewhere thrillingly unfamiliar – a bright, almost disorienting welcome. The songwriter and producer immediately sets out a clear map of intent: a pop-rock engine chugging with determination, quickly threaded through with the intricate, evocative embroidery of Arabian strings and Middle Eastern...