Some pop songs are built for escapism. They offer a three-minute vacation from the weight of things. Paul Jenner, the creative force behind the musical project 50mething, seems uninterested in this kind of holiday. His work is consistently grounded in the here and now, tackling the social and political agitations of our time with a composer’s ear and a critical eye. His 2026 single, “You Can’t...

The new single from Slovakian DIY architect H-dMan Such, “Empty Phrases,” begins with a sound that feels both familiar and askew, like a classic car sputtering on the wrong kind of fuel. There's a sun-bleached Britrock swagger in the guitar work, a confident strut down a familiar road. https://open.spotify.com/track/4tG7pp3IFwp9rQZSNjzMZL?si=EzYN3PMTRVi5vnvURkbF-w But something is swirling just beneath the surface, a psychedelic shimmer that hints at engine trouble, or...