Casey McQuillen’s single “Better” arrives not with a bang, but with the quiet, decisive click of a well-made lock securing a door. It’s pop music, certainly, groomed and gleaming, yet beneath the surface bubbles a fierce kind of self-possession that’s less about demanding attention and more about curating who gets past the velvet rope of your own contentment. Coming from someone known for empowerment...

Ben Hutcheson is an up-and-coming performer in the country rock genre, and he hails from the aesthetically beautiful South West area of England. His music is characterised by a strong sense of promise. He is a prime example of the new breed of English singer-songwriters who are well-positioned to have a substantial influence on the way current music is perceived and created. Ben Hutcheson, who was...