With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...

Rising New England songwriter Ava Valianti transforms personal anxiety into sharp indie pop commentary "Laugh Track". Few artists in the crowded field of indie pop are able to capture the strange nervousness of modern life as well as Ava Valianti does in her latest song, "Laugh Track." This song is a truly honest reflection on how we see ourselves and how hard it is to go...