Rachael Sage & The Sequins do not let “Canopy (Acoustic)” treat refuge as a soft-focus idea. Their third single ahead of "Under My Canopy" puts a social argument at the centre of an acoustic Americana-pop frame, centring radical inclusivity, non-violence and environmental consciousness. This alt-folk-pop single review considers a reworked song from Canopy that asks a pointed question: what does safety look like when division is...

Helena May’s new single, “Side Effects,” doesn’t just enter a room; it strides in with the kind of confident, hip-swinging swagger that makes you instinctively check your own posture. This is Brit-Funk with a capital F, built on a groove that feels less like a rhythm and more like a wry, talkative companion. It’s got that specific, indefinable warmth of an old analogue recording,...