Listening to Hazelize’s “Signal Lost” feels like trying to explain the color blue to someone who only sees in static. The song, born from a Rome home studio, chronicles a communication breakdown so complete it borders on the surreal. This isn’t the sound of a fiery argument; it’s the hollow hum of a dead line, the quiet agony of speaking a language only you...

The latest from Jacob and the Starry Eyed Shadows, “Racing on the Back Straight,” performs a fantastic trick: it dresses up a full-blown existential crisis in its summer best and sends it to the beach. This Glasgow solo architect, Jacob, has constructed a Trojan horse of a track, all propulsive indie rock guitars and a pop-punk chorus so immediate it feels like you’ve known...