Canadian alternative-pop artist, Emily Krueger, has just released her latest single “Gum.” Previously a part of the experimental duo Zoology, Emily is now fully focused on her solo career. This latest release further explores her love for pop melodies, while still staying true to her roots as a seasoned guitar player. The bounce of the electric guitar on this tune has you singing along without a word being sung. Just as the lyrics tell the story of being stuck on someone and not being able to move on, they do the same by getting stuck in your head. The line, “I found your gum in my pocket now I’m thinking of you,” is a great example of how even the slightest reminder of someone can have you right back in the palm of their hand. This is Emily’s fourth single release and sets the tone for an EP release set for later this year.

“All of the songs on my new record are about people. Individual, real people. Some are strangers I’ve met, but a lot are friends”, explains Hamilton Leithauser in a teaser for lead single “Here They Come” before the song’s official release. That video would lead us to believe that the friend is actor Ethan Hawke (who, upon hearing the song, turns off the stereo and bludgeons Leithuaser with a chair), but in truth it doesn’t matter. Hawke, or whomever the song’s subject truly is, may or may not have hidden from his problems in the darkness of a movie theater, but “Here They Come” is a song for anyone who runs at the first hint of difficulty. Yes, you. The track is an excellently executed return, a chance encounter with an old friend who is just as excited to see you. It features all the hallmarks of a Hamilton Leithauser classic—the lightning-fast classically influenced fingerpicking, Leithauser’s own strained yells, and of course that unmistakable piano sound—but perhaps the most Leithauser-like quality of all, keeping the familiar sound fresh, is his unbridled bandleader’s joy, a smile behind every syllable.

Two packs of cigarettes down, half-Catalan and half-Irish singer Núria Graham peaks into the past on the title track of her latest album. A slow-burning folk ballad warped by airy, chiming guitars and soaring synthesizers, "Marjorie" is built perfectly for dramatic moments of introspection. Keeping watch for a lover as the night draws in around her, Graham lovingly connects the dots between her and the grandmother she never met. Despite being permanently separated by a gulf of time, she pulls herself closer to Marjorie as she chews through painful, intergenerational deja vu; "we seem to be making the same mistakes," she sings out, in the chorus of one of her most direct and powerful vocal performances to date. A window-gazers dream, "Marjorie" pushes a revitalized Núria Graham to new heights.

In a breath as fresh as spring, Waxahatchee shares “Lilacs,” a windows-down dealing in a tangle of intrusive thoughts and a glass half empty, half full look at self-sufficiency and love. The track begins with a jangly, quiet groove, blooming into a chorus that contends that the process of coming to love yourself doesn’t have to be lonely, “if I'm a broken record / write it in the dust, babe / I'll fill myself back up like I used to do” and sweeping into the admission of being better with another with anthemic resolve, “I won't end up anywhere good without you / I need your love, too.” “Lilacs” is the second single released in anticipation of Saint Cloud Katie Crutchfield’s fifth record as Waxahatchee, out March 27 via Merge Records.

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.

Yoke Lore and Jax Anderson don’t waste a beat in this joyful collaboration. There’s no small talk here, no introduction. “I got a sensitive heart / Full up with fits and starts,” Adrian Galvin of Yoke Lore declares, with a youthful, lilting voice that matches the phrase. Romantic string pads set a soft foundation like a picnic blanket splayed onto freshly-cut grass. “It’s ok if you break it / I won’t cry, I won't fake it,” adds Anderson, her vocals complementing Galvin’s timbre perfectly. An infectious bassline and danceable synth beat accompany her entrance, eagerly getting the fun started. Galvin and Anderson’s effortless duet delivers like a gracefully choreographed relay race, each sharing equal responsibility of the lyrics, passing the flag back and forth without once stepping on each others’ toes. The words feel genuine, portraying vulnerability and wisdom against a soaring background vocal hook. “Sensitive Heart” is an anthem for hopeful young hearts, who know that life’s inevitable toll helps to develop a more resilient character.