Jake Vera’s “Purgatory”: A Raw Ode to the Afterlife and Beyond Putting out a first song called "Purgatory" seems almost radical. Even though it is not exactly roses, Jake Vera is not here to play it safe. Coming from Dallas, Texas, this self-made artist has made a song that hits you hard emotionally and sounds rough. Working with producer AfwulDrama, Vera crafts an introspective exploration of...

Violet Love has offered up an EP titled "Destined to Fail," and it arrives less like a prediction and more like a pre-existing condition, a medical chart for a soul that’s been diagnosed with itself. The DIY recording quality doesn’t feel lo-fi for aesthetics; it feels necessary, like these songs could only have been born in a sealed-off room where the air was getting...