Michelle Lynne introduces One Step at a Time  without separating the two musical paths that have defined her so far. The Canadian pianist and singer-songwriter, trained in the classical tradition and holding a Master’s degree from the University of Montreal, might have chosen to establish her debut through a recital-focused recording, something that would clearly signal her credentials within the canon. Instead, she places Ravel and Liszt beside her own songs on an independen

PHI-108’s Conditions of Re-Entry  is a five-song EP that keeps death in plain sight and refuses to treat it as distant, dramatic, or abstract. From “Die Young” through “Wanderers,” the record remains concerned with mortality, the limits of the body, and the possibility that something within us continues after physical life ends. The lyrics speak directly about denial, surrender, responsibility, and the idea of eternity, returning often to the tension between human time and in

In a world that seems increasingly split by radical sentiments, art can be the unifying force and provide the much-needed common ground. Matt Smith, a devoted tunesmith, is a firm believer in this rationale by heart. In the emotive new project ...this is not ok..., he is unflinchingly candid about the conflicted state of society. Expanding its horizons, the album carries thoughtful contemplations regarding more intricate facets of life. In terms of musical scope, ...this is n

Tom Leonard’s What Has Been and What Will Be , released on February 6th through Shore Dive Records, is his second album and a clear step forward in how confidently he handles his sound. Written at home in Manchester and later mixed and mastered at Woods Studio in Norway by Bjorn Kulseng Berg, the record carries a personal weight that runs deeper than genre labels. From “Clarity” through to the closing track “Fade Away,” Leonard keeps returning to ideas of memory and what we c