Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...

Myles Sky’s new single, "Goodbye Letter", plays like a document found in a time capsule you buried for yourself only yesterday. It’s the sound of a very specific, solitary ritual: the final message written not to be sent, but to be known. It’s an act of emotional carbon dating, a way of proving to yourself that you were here, that you felt this, and...