Especially in today's music scene, which is always changing, not many singers can capture the mood as well as Joe Lington. Lington makes music that ties together the complicated lines of American R&B stars like Sisqo and Keith Sweat. He does this from the lively streets of Ireland to the world stage. Lington is not only a singer, but also a link between different countries...

Near Death Experience's single, "Shake," arrived not so much as music, but as a sudden, urgent insistence. It’s London psych-rock-soul alright, but brewed with something fiercely immediate, demanding attention like a ringing telephone in an empty room. The core quartet – Ian Whiteling guiding the trip with vocals and guitar fuzz, Joshua Van Ness laying down a heartbeat that feels both frantic and locked-in,...