Led by Carli Naff, a Brooklyn-based, singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, Carli & The Dark bring us their debut single “Mimi” via Paper Moon Records. The song announces itself with a combination of subtle layering and poignant lyrics, a swell and exhalation of intimacy. Not unlike Lucy Dacus or Haley Heynderickx, with a lilt reminiscent of Mitski, Carli’s clear but tender voice cuts through the first few seconds like a call to attention. The opening electric guitar is soon joined by an acoustic as the song continues to build, adding layer over layer in a tasteful arrangement of dreamy vocals, shoegazey riffs, and even the subtle accent of horns. It takes looking back to realize how many elements are at play on this track, how the textures culminate in a lush harmony without sounding overworked. This unconventional breakup song also replaces drama with compassion, speaking of the shift in the relationship between two women when one cannot provide what the other needs anymore. Rather than falling apart, they find a balance through love and empathy. Carli sings about the strength of their bond continuing on past their romance as her voice echoes through to the end, “We walk in stride / I love you always.” With thoughtful lyrics paired alongside gorgeous vocals and intricate instrumentation, “Mimi” is an impressively mature and promising debut, making Carli & The Dark an artist to keep an ear out for.

Alex Giannascoli, better known as (Sandy) Alex G, released his new LP House of Sugar a couple of weeks ago via Domino Records. In the project, he offers up a series of enduring narratives that bring more comfort upon each listen. Alex G’s music can be described as mysterious or unclear—this effort holds a unique open-endedness that takes you down multiple avenues of possibility. At the tail-end of the record sits “In My Arms”, a folky, sweeping ballad of desire and circumstance. The bouncing, acoustic strumming sets the pace as Giannascoli’s voice skates along and he dives into his bittersweet recollection. He provides a warm snapshot of the intimacy we all yearn for, “I take it in, I do without / I never care what we talk about / Pull up the car outside your house / Took out the seats so we could lie down.” The track offers a glimpse into his imagination of what a picture-perfect situation would be if he was with someone meaningful; co-existing in blissful silence with that ideal person is something that we have all dreamed of.

LA indie rockers Gardens & Villa have released the dreamy, atmospheric single “Rosie.” An early collaboration with the late Richard Swift, the lo-fi jam is like a psychedelic walk through nature. Nostalgic guitar tones, spacey synths, and a wispy flute are vivid additions to the arrangement, which is lush with colorful, mystical sounds and imagery, and is perfectly suited to the season. Soothing, washed-out vocals and a faint, cozy piano add depth and darkness, while the lyrics serve to further immerse you in the folk-rock track’s catchy, swaying beat: “Midsummer night's / Dreamy eyes of a fool / When I’m drinking with you again.” Mysterious and warm, “Rosie” is a feel-good track for cloudier days.

King Princess craves commitment and certainty with her partner on "Ain't Together," the latest in a string of singles preceding her debut album, Cheap Queen. A listless sense of longing permeates the song as King Princess, aka Mikaela Straus, finds herself stuck with someone who will say "I love you," yet deny to others that they're in a relationship. Self-consciously, she ponders, "Do you think labels make it taste much better?" desperate to sound nonchalant. "Baby you ain't gotta worry about nothing," Straus assures her partner, though it's clear that it's herself she needs to convince. With a breezy choir humming casual "Ah's" and "Do-do-do's" throughout the track, you almost start to believe she's comfortable in the in-between, until she admits, "Oh it kills / I ain't chill at all, at all." The song features a drumbeat from Father John Misty that's as effortlessly compelling as her hazy, psychedelic rock guitar. Alongside previous rock-driven single "Prophet," "Ain't Together" has Straus traversing genre without losing her delightfully unique melancholy-tinged pop essence. Cheap Queen is due out on October 25, marking the first full-length album to be released on Mark Ronson's Zelig Records.

Timeless and emotional, “Short and Sweet” is an entrancing acoustic ballad from Brittany Howard’s debut solo album, Jaime. The stripped arrangement, inspired by blues and old soul, is soft and intimate, like walking peacefully into a dream. Singing with just a guitar and a wash of white noise, the track finds Howard, the lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes, at her most vulnerable. Channeling the likes of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone,Howard’s vocals are close, raw, and so gorgeous. The lo-fi production emphasizes the track’s timeless feel, giving Howard’s voice a velvety, hypnotic sort of appeal. The lyrics, much like the song title, are simple and powerful, and Howard’s easy croon makes them feel effortless. “I may be a fool to dream of you,” she sings, “But god it feels so good to dream at all.” “Short and Sweet” proves that the queen of modern soul does quiet just as well.

"Don't you know that all my dreams come true when I'm walkin' down the street with you?" Corinne Bailey Rae's dreamy revamp of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl" is made of the same stuff Old Hollywood love was built on. The British soul singer is part of the upcoming Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits, a Tom Waits cover album featuring names like Aimee Mann, Phoebe Bridgers and The Wild Reeds. For her part, Bailey Rae picked the 1980 hit that was on Waits' Heartattack And Vine album. In an interview, she explained that she loves how the song expresses so clearly "the rush of first love" and "the thrill of finding the one in a crowd of many.” The song, which was already memorable to those of us who have been in love with our own Jersey girl, gains a new life with Bailey Rae's sweet and captivating voice and allows a whole new set of feelings to settle in the hearts of the listeners. After all, "Nothin' else matters in this whole wide world, when you're in love with a jersey girl." Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits comes out on November 22.

Today, Brooklyn-based indie duo Painted On premieres their second single, “Passed Forward.” The melancholy song is somewhat of a more austere ballad in comparison to the band’s first release, “Fall,” which creeps through an electronic ascension of slow, ambient percussion. In “Passed Forward,” Painted On’s comprising members Hillary Capps and Anthony Farina explore their signature cinematic crescendos alongside something folksier and more stripped down. Sounding not entirely unlike Of Monsters and Men’s 2012 sensation “Little Talks,” Capps and Farina find a vocal meeting place amid layered echoes and exultant chants with the refrain’s grounding hook: “You’re my home.”