Yasmin Lacey combines introspection and self-affirmation to bring warmth to her 3rd EP. — Nottingham-based R&B singer Yasmin Lacey got her start playing acoustic gigs back in the early 2010s. This process helped her to form the band that works with her known as The Running Circle. In the following years, she would release several EPs that would display her sound. For her third…

Wellington mixes jazz, blues, and bluegrass for a spectacular experience on his debut release. — Tray Wellington is one of many exciting artists to come out of East Tennessee State University. Hailing from the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, the bluegrass artist is one of many Black banjoists (like Rhiannon Giddens and Amythyst Kiah) to rise to prominence from the region. For Wellington, he…

Portland-based band Phosphene returns with their alternative sound on Transmute. — I have always been quite the fan of that creamy 90s alternative/shoegaze sound since my teen years. There is such a complexity to the dreamy feeling that the genre brings. I have noticed a revival of this sound in acts like Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, and Cloakroom. Phosphene is another…

Lemoine’s sophomore album draws from industrial settings to create an evocative experience. — Woodkid is the stage name of French musician, graphic designer, and music video director Yoann Lemoine. …

Dale Hollow brings in The Long Con to further his lore on his second EP. — For Dale Hollow, the character is everything. Similar to fellow country crooner Orville Peck, Hollow makes it difficult to know the man behind the legend (so to speak). The New York City native says it all with his pending trademark, Country Music Superstar. …

Terino weaves a story of despondence to hope on this cold chamber-pop-coated outing. — New England native Eric Terino reached back to his visual arts background for his third album, Innovations of Grave Perversity. Eric used references such as Andrew Wyeth paintings and Françoise Hardy’s book “The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles,” among other sources to craft the world that he presents in…

Fitzsimmons brings a softness to the pain of divorce in his 2021 release. — With change can come growth, something that singer/songwriter William Fitzsimmons used to his advantage after the end of his marriage. Finding himself at one of his lowest points (near the brink of suicide), William took to his guitar to begin the process of healing. …

South African artist Desire Marea creates an otherworldly beauty on this spiritually charged sophomore album. — Queer South African artist Desire Marea got his start in the rap duo FAKA. back in 2016. The group released two projects (the more experimental Bottom’s Revenge EP and the electronic-inspired Amaqhawe EP) in Zulu. My first taste of his sound came from the radiant beauty of his latest solo…

Swedish/American band Flora Cash experiments with an electronic sound beautifully on this 2021 release. — I first discovered Flora Cash’s music after stumbling upon their label advertising one of their records among several other artists. My first taste of their sound was from the group’s 2019 Press EP. While I liked the sound of their big hit “You’re Somebody Else”, I felt the majority of…