Matt Nation drops "April’s Fool," and I am instantly struck by the sheer exhaustion of loving a hologram. The Brooklyn-born, LA-based artist has a knack for dissolving the borders between alt-pop, R&B, and nu-disco, but here, he channels a soul-stirring pop-punk urgency through a laid-back, indie-pop filter. https://open.spotify.com/track/7rPHpg1lXMiQFFuuIX9ZT5 It is a strange, brilliant contrast. A melancholic chord loop cycles endlessly, creating a flowing foundation for Nation's...

Okay, so, you’ve got music hitting your eardrums. Sometimes it's like a rogue pigeon landing right outside your window – startling, unexpected, but maybe interesting? Ozzient's “Peace, Not War” single feels a little like that pigeon, only this one’s carrying a tiny, insistent megaphone yelling about, well, peace and not war. Obvious, sure, but when was the last time obvious actually soaked in? https://open.spotify.com/album/4mb3AYjTpp2SN5lzOqy5e0?si=cJzQ6WgVTkWdiKTkvgN1uw This track...