Listening to the new DownTown Mystic EP, "Mystic Highway", is a bit like finding an old, perfectly worn-in roadmap in the glovebox of a brand new car. It has the feel of something essential, something foundational, yet it’s being used to navigate a landscape of blindingly modern anxieties. Robert Allen, the architect behind this project, isn’t just playing classic rock; he's conducting a seance...

There is a certain kind of song that seems to exist outside of time. It is a song that could have been a hit in any decade, a song that speaks to a fundamental human experience. Ferdinand Rennie’s “Unbelieving Eyes” is one of those songs. A sweeping pop ballad with a heart of gold, it is a song that is both instantly familiar and refreshingly...