Guess Pre's "Clarity." The name itself feels like a punchline missing its joke, or maybe the setup to a philosophical riddle I'm not equipped to solve. Gregory Stanton, the Wisconsin-based artist behind the moniker, has served up a nine-track album that's… well, it's trying to be a lot of things, and surprisingly, mostly succeeding. https://open.spotify.com/album/2hV27eRxEJp08kML02uRW1 This isn't background music for folding laundry. It's more like the...

TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, "Easy Street". The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret. https://open.spotify.com/album/6wLvX4vix5YygVOuQ7039p?si=aasK_0XHSAmhDNLFrh-aUw The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic...