Three hours. A producer building a beat in real time. An artist on the couch writing melodies and most of the lyrics before the session is over. That is the engine behind Nicosongs’ "In My Mind", the Melbourne artist’s original contemporary R&B single. It is an origin story with momentum, and it suits an artist drawn to records that carry emotional depth while still giving people...

Reaven's latest offering, "Something To Remember," barrels in like a sunbeam after a week of rain, a potent shot of pop-rock that dares you to feel something. It's a single, a little burst of focused energy rather than a sprawling landscape, and it gets straight to the point, doesn't waste time building up to anything, because there is so much to embrace today, that...