The first listen of Haus of Sound’s new single, “Mirage,” is like walking into a room where a beautifully ornate vase has just been shattered against a wall. There's a jagged, crystalline energy here, a collision of theatrical drama and raw, modern discontent. Evolving from their 2000s tribute roots, the Everett band has synthesized the best of that era’s angst—the coiled tension of early...

Listening to Cuzoh’s new single, “Slow Down,” feels a bit like holding your breath without realizing you’re doing it. The Hempstead-born artist has crafted a piece so deceptively smooth in its Hip-Hop and Soul blend that the grim story coiled within it strikes you a second too late, like the aftershock of a distant tremor. It’s a ghost story told about someone who is...