The members of Vern Matz are self-proclaimed Radiohead fanatics, and the influence of Thom Yorke’s softer side is evident. “Systematically Gone” lets the listener revisit the sweet dreamlike state evoked in Radiohead’s “High and Dry,” but singer Danny Belgrad himself evokes the art rock heroes of a decade prior. R.E.M. sang, “Sometimes everything is wrong / Now it’s time to sing along,” and Belgrad channels Michael Stipe (quite convincingly) to describe a character singing away the toughest moments of their life, their “factory hours.” The subject’s stubbornness has left them “stuck on shore,” and vague questions like “Is it too much? / Will you ever stop?” convey an utter bewilderment with the decisions that they have made to take them so completely off course. With “systematic” echoes and jarring drum fills, the choruses, though still sweet, are frantic in a way that suggests the whole system itself is breaking down.

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.