"Who the fuck is Lauren Ruth Ward?” reads the descriptive text teasing the 31-year-old American singer and guitarist’s website. Ward is a firecracker, a Scorpio, a water sign. What do Maggie Rogers, Father John Misty, and Lauren Ruth Ward have in common? Their voices read like anachronisms, under-processed, floral, not limited to modernity or copying what came before. They make music that’s difficult to place but electric to absorb. What’s more, all three artists hail from Maryland, a state that isn’t classically associated with rock music, and one that also happens to be where I grew up. On the Mason-Dixon line, this is a place where country music is charred with a rock sensibility, or in the case of Ward, rock is infused with a smokey folk flavor. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Ward, who rocks Angel Olsen bangs and tie-dye hair, worked as a hairdresser in her native town of Baltimore. “Water Sign” is a song that you feel throughout your whole body. “I'm living in my personal hell / I don't need your ammunition / Everybody say ‘Oh, I can tell’ / Can only see my own vision,” drawing out the last syllables into a growl. Ward sings of emotional volatility: being vulnerable to the moods and actions of people trying to swerve into her left lane. Single lines speak volumes, with punctuated pauses and Ward’s sharp tongue (“I did it my sentence it was cruel but I finished it”). If you’re in New York, don’t miss Ward’s upcoming show at Rough Trade in April.

Trading in bitterness for joy has never been better encompassed than by Oh Wonder's new track "Happy," the fourth single leading up to their third record, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. "It's good to see you loved / Let's call it even," they sing in earnest, echoing the levity of true release. The London-based duo, composed of Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht, wrote the track in response to West's ex-girlfriend getting married. “I saw a picture of her in her wedding dress and I was like, ‘Wow, what a feeling,'" said West. "[It’s] so cool that she’s met someone else because I could never be the guy next to her.” That epiphanic moment of knowing they're better off without you translates into peace with oneself with ease. No One Else Can Wear Your Crown is due for a February 7 release via Republic Records.

Like a gentle breeze or a soft sunset glow, “Golden Days” is a sweet song that feels comfortable and familiar. The quietly emotional new single reminisces about the golden days of early love while maintaining a pleasing lightness that exposes indie rock band Plastic Picnic’s softer side. The instrumentation is lovely and lush, invigorated by light, uplifting guitars and distant, pulsing drums that give the track a subtle energy, like floating purposefully through time. Singer Emile Panerio’s voice sounds vulnerable and sweet over transient synths that bathe it in warmth and add a layer of nostalgia, while a heavy, hazy reverb makes everything sound like it’s happening inside a dream. The perfect antidote to the January chill, “Golden Days” is subtly psychedelic, enormously cozy, and even better than a dream because you can play it on repeat.

With a sincereness of heart and a voice that cuts through the movement, monotony, and chatter of life, Andy Shauf tells his listeners a new story throughout his new album Neon Skyline. Meandering through moody clarinet, he introduces to the storyline of this album the unprecedented, yet familiar reflection of a character named Claire, in his single "Living Room." The track invites the listener into a local bar to engage in a listening of the story of a woman who verbalizes her attempt to reconcile the lack of care that her father had with her through the parenting of her own son, however, her story brings her clarity enough to come to terms with the harrowing fact that she resembles her father. Toward the end of the song, Shauf repeats a poignant lyric: “I mean how hard is it to give a shit?” drawing the story to a close. With this single, Shauf does not only introduce something with an alluring sound, but also a brilliant cascade of meaning masked in simplicity.

The Districts continue their string of releasing vibrant, exciting new singles with the tricked-out track “Cheap Regrets.” This catchy rock anthem is the second release from their upcoming album, You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere, due out March 13th via Fat Possum Records. Explosive electric guitars and spacey synths are at the front of a grand arrangement that evokes a lavish sort of recklessness. The track expertly toes the line of overwhelming your senses without ever fully crossing it. Pumping drums and tight production keep the momentum alive and the instrumentation loud without being too heavy, and vocalist Rob Grote’s performance is raw, energizing, and totally transfixing. Like a guilty pleasure you just can’t kick, “Cheap Regrets” is addicting and evocative through explorative soundscapes and cool, electric hooks. You’ll lose yourself in it and love every second.

Irish-Iranian songwriter and producer Glassio’s newest single “Are You Having Fun Without Me?” is a melancholic dream-pop rumination on the slow evanesce of an old friendship. The Queens-based artist combines storytelling with synths in a believably nostalgic way as he asks questions he will likely never know the answer to: “are you having fun without my love? / are the problems gone without me? / or have they just begun?” His voice sitting soft and low amongst the dance-pop production adds a level of authenticity. It’s confessional and honest without leaning too far into the melancholy. Though it may be a little too soft to dance to, it is perfect for a late-night drive spent thinking. “Are You Having Fun Without Me?” is Glassio’s first release since his 2019 debut EP Age of Experience. It is also the first single off of upcoming debut album due out this spring.

Every song by Chicago's Ratboys can be traced back to the dormitory friendship of singer Julia Steiner and guitarist Dave Sagan in the first days of school at Notre Dame. Sometimes the lineage is literal, as with their newest single, “I Go Out At Night,” in which they lifted a guitar part from the skeleton of a song they wrote in that era. But more often even than that, a Ratboyssong will faithfully capture the wide-eyed sense of wonder endemic to that period in one’s life, exploring emotional territory usually reserved for late nights on a futon. Multiple guitars bash against the walls of the song’s structure, trying to break free in the abstract way that an adolescent dreams of being free. “What if I never come home?” wonders Steiner, but the band shows immense restraint, never forcing that thought to develop beyond the daydream that it is. Steiner’s biggest strength is in her tactful vocal delivery, whispering where others would shout, allowing her melodies to shine through the noise.

What begins as a chaotic, tense guitar solo glides seamlessly into a slow, sultry rock tune on “Look Back On It,” the second track off of New Brunswick indie-rock outfit Zoochie’s debut album Honey. Lead vocalist Libby Kallins tells the tale of that first date we all know too well: one that you want to be over before it’s even started because the connection just isn’t there. She sings, “Snap, it’s gone in a second / Every minute left with you, I guess it could be depressing / But it’s not, it’s gone in a moment / And I don’t know what I’ve got until it’s left me uneasy.” The song is dynamic, taking us on a sonic journey through strong, powerful interludes and softer, more thoughtful moments. Drawing inspiration from artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Cage the Elephant, and Frank Zappa, the group clearly showcases their passion for creating music that listeners will want to feel and dance to. After three years in the making, Honey is the compilation of songs composed from stories wild, calm, and heartfelt that the band has personally experienced throughout their time together. With its infectious energy and vibrant colors, “Look Back On It” is the perfect glimpse into what Zoochie has to offer.