Maddie Jay’s newest single, “The Peanut Butter Song”, is the perfect song to carry us into the spring, shedding the heaviness of winter with a warm groove. It’s the same optimism that guides the narrator. There's wildly creative and fun imagery in Jay's words as she spots and acknowledges that this relationship might not be as good as it looks. The specific, almost-healthiness of peanut butter is a brilliant metaphor, and Jay delivers the words in the smooth and silky style we’ve come to expect from her. The whole track feels so effortless, quite the feat when you consider the beauty and depth in the production and the emotion and vulnerability of the lyrics. Moments like the chorus make it clear—the catchy synth riff front and center with stunning yet subtle background vocals holding it all together. Maddie Jay's "The Peanut Butter Song" continues to prove how good the artist is at tackling life’s toughest situations and finding a way to dance through them.

Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.

Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.