Lisha Tahrea’s new single, “Momentum,” does something quite clever with its rhythm. It doesn't just play; it seems to breathe, pulling you into its warm, afro-fusion haze before you’ve even noticed your feet are stuck to the floor. The beat has that beautiful, cyclical quality of things that are both nourishing and dangerous, like a rip current or a second piece of cake. https://open.spotify.com/track/43PVyDFQf2CKwkAKe8RQZW?si=177b6b17f8f54347 This is...

Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...