Michellar’s new EP, “My Alma Latina,” arrived with the familiar, sinuous warmth of a Santana guitar riff but proceeds to map out an altogether different territory. This isn't just a collection of pop songs seasoned with Latin flair; it's a five-part spiritual field guide, an intimate log of a soul navigating a world that refuses to stand still. https://open.spotify.com/album/2rKpoVX8FJo2tbgSWw50v3?si=6y-Ot-Y7TKyd2tChEI5Jxg It begins with an earthy anxiety, a...

Listening to Bloomfield Machine's new seventeen-track instrumental album, “Copium,” feels a bit like stepping into a terrarium during a quiet downpour. The title itself suggests a kind of modern, knowing self-delusion, the balm we apply just to get by. Yet, the music crafted by Huntington Beach’s Brian Kassan is far too sincere for pure cynicism. This isn’t the sound of giving up; it’s the...