Jessie Bird's new single, "Break It," feels less like a song strategically dropped and more like a personal diary accidentally left open on a park bench – specifically, one hailing from the clear-aired honesty of Camrose, Canada. The initial notes of this indie folk-pop track carry a disarming simplicity, almost akin to the unassuming hum of an old refrigerator right before it sputters out...

The first listen of Haus of Sound’s new single, “Mirage,” is like walking into a room where a beautifully ornate vase has just been shattered against a wall. There's a jagged, crystalline energy here, a collision of theatrical drama and raw, modern discontent. Evolving from their 2000s tribute roots, the Everett band has synthesized the best of that era’s angst—the coiled tension of early...