There is a specific kind of melodic stride in Lana Crow’s new release, “Orwellian Times,” that reminds me, quite vividly, of the way people walk when they’re late for a meeting they know is going to be an absolute disaster. It is brisk, purposeful, and rhythmically catchy, yet underpinned by a distinct, vibrating anxiety. This British singer-songwriter has crafted a track that feels less...

To understand a song like “Over And Over,” you first have to understand the road it travelled to get here. This is not a track that sprang fully formed from a young artist’s ambition. It’s a gnarled, weathered thing, carrying the dust of a long and winding path. The artist, Block, is a name that echoes from the raucous, DIY-spirited New York anti-folk scene of...