The moment the jaunty guitar kicks in on John Smyths’ new single, "Now I'm Wiser", you feel a familiar, comfortable warmth. It’s the sound of a good chair in a bar where the floor is sticky with spilled truths. And then the story starts, a classic yarn of a hard-living past yielding to a peaceful present. Smyths, a Dutch ex-metalhead singing country out of...

Seattle's Josh Jensen has returned with his third album, "This Is Where We Landed," a 40-minute, 10-song exploration into the wonderfully absurd circus we call life. Did you know that the collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament? Anyway, back to the music. https://open.spotify.com/album/5r3iizLCsAEgwbGpEF6pKK?si=e4Nkxn-8THOk4XOQKtUabg This collection of Americana-infused acoustic tracks navigates the bewildering journey of existence. It feels, at times, like trying to...