A lost love, a grudge, a new fixation. Every song on Worn-Tin’s new album, Cycles, sings of the way any new obsession can seep into every part of you. Warner (the voice and creative mind behind Worn-Tin) wrote that the album was an exploration into those kinds of obsessions in his own life. The track, "Same Joke," seems to speak to the way those cravings tend to play out. Sonically, this surf rock lullaby creates an unhurried, intimate feel. Longing, dreaming and frustration— the song makes you feel those universal feelings that take over when yearning for someone or something you are unable to get. The vocals are wispy and soft, creating that somber lullaby effect that can be heard often throughout the album. By the end of the song, the catharsis for these powerful emotions of pining and then coping is fulfilled. As he sings “It’s the same joke every time,” he reassures us that each obsession is the same, even when it feels as though you can’t live without it, a new one will take its place soon enough.

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.