The Districts can easily be seen as a welcome addition to the trend of Philadelphia indie rockers who play a little more noisily than their Brooklyn or LA contemporaries. They’re in good company with bands like Hop Along and Restorations, who shout over as many as three guitars at a time but use a brighter emotional palette than anger alone. “Hey Jo,” the first single from their upcoming album You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere, is a more delicate song, more coming-of-age than teenage angst. Singer Rob Grote explores his falsetto as he confronts bucked expectations, asking a friend, “How’s Los Angeles? Have you seen any stars? Does the sunshine get old?” Those opening questions are symbolic of the larger confusion within the song of, as Grote explains, “relationships unfurling amidst the dysphoria of the modern world.” “We are all imperfect products of the natural world,” he continues, “and more specifically, products of our own mind.” You can almost hear the strain in his voice, not accustomed to singing so high, so quietly or so tenderly, as he addresses his own internal struggles and tries “to be something more perfect, gentle, and beautiful.”

Joseph recently treated us to “Come On Up to the House,” the titular and opening track of Come On Up to the House: Women Sing Waits, an all-female tribute to Tom Waits, featuring the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, The Wild Reeds and Rosanne Cash. The original is a joyous and welcoming anthem, urging listeners to take the lemons life has given them and squeeze out every last drop — “All your crying don’t do no good / Come on up to the house / Come down off the cross, we can use the wood.” Though the gravel in his voice could only ever come from Waits himself, he sings with the weight of a choir of barflies swaying shoulder-to-shoulder with their pints in hand. It would have been easy for Joseph to follow that same stomp-and-holler formula that makes their early singles so infectious. Nobody would have asked for anything more. Instead, theirs is a somber take on the song, stunning and singular. Where Waits sounds triumphant and inviting, Joseph sounds tired and alone, almost as if they are singing the song to themselves because nobody else will. Backed by only a piano and a string section, the three sisters take turns with their lonesome verses, reserving their combined harmonies for the grand finale, acknowledging the difficulty but necessity, of finding unity where it seems impossible.

Hazel English has been relatively quiet since the release of her stellar 2017 album Just Give In / Never Going Home. Awash in surf-rock instrumentation and sunshiny melodies, the album was a fun, carefree drive down the LA coastline. Now the Aussie-born Californian is stepping up her game—she’s back with a new single, and it’s bolder than ever. “Shaking,” out today from Polyvinyl Record Co., shows her depth as an artist and ear for arrangement. Sharper percussion and full, more mature instrumentation take the track from the beach to the basement of the coolest club, where the crowd is full and everybody is dancing without judgment. The track has a continuous undercurrent of confidence, both in the energy and vigor of the instruments and in English’s soft, swoon-worthy voice. “Get down on your hands and knees / Baby beg for me,” she sings in a controlled, wispy soprano, embracing the subtle power of her femininity. Overall, “Shaking” is a battle cry for self-discovery and self-love, empowering listeners to live their lives to the fullest and embrace change.

London-based outfit Sorry take a look at some of the things that send us into a head spin in their stunning new track, “Right Round The Clock." It’s the first offering from their freshly announced debut album 925, which arrives next year. The project, steered by Asha Lorenz and Louis O'Bryen and accompanied by drummer Lincoln Barrett and bassist Campbell Baum, launches deep into how grand aspirations and the need to feel wanted can trap us in a whirling cycle of aimless direction. Lorenz and O’Bryen’s straightforward, matter-of-fact delivery acts as a nice companion to the swaying, eccentric production that bounces in the background. As the duo announces in unison “I’m feeling kinda crazy / I’m feeling kinda mad / The dreams in which we’re famous are the best I’ve ever had," you can feel their yearning to manifest something real and significant. This idea is further amplified in the music video for the single, directed by Lorenz and regular collaborator Jasper Cable-Alexander. While we try and maneuver through our individual realities, one thing is certain: Sorry is a creative force to keep an eye on. 925 is set to release in the spring of 2020 via Domino.

Singer-songwriter Elah Hale tells a story of love lost on her latest single "Holding You Close." Compared to other singles by the New York artist, this one takes on a more somber tone–delving deeper into the intimacies of a relationship with swelling vocals and melancholy piano. The song opens and eases itself comfortably into a swaying ballad that honors the end of the relationship with bittersweet words that sound warm coming from Hale's unique voice. Soft instrumentals cushion the blow of the inevitable parting from her lover, but in the end, she knows that even reminiscing about the good times won't help. "Holding You Close" is revealing, solemn, and soul-bearing–an exciting new piece for Hale's ever-expanding collection of songs.

Philly-bred duo Marian Hill rises from the ashes with their jazzy new single "like u do." The track evokes the moment where you watch an ex from afar perform their usual canned charm and wit on someone else. Jeremy Lloyd's understated, yet dynamic beat mimics that allure while the levity and clarity of Gongol's voice are as refreshing as realizing you now see right through them. The higher tempo and magnetic flair tap into a brighter energy from the duo, contrasting past releases. "'like u do' was written directly in reaction to our getting tired of writing darker slower songs for several weeks," said Lloyd. "It felt like a massive breath of fresh air when we finally found it."