“Coming Home”—Leon Bridges In describing “Coming Home,” it is helpful to borrow a line from NPR Music’s recent piece on Leon Bridges: “The song sounds so much like Sam Cooke, a cardigan...

“Then Came the Morning”—The Lone Bellow The clouds open in the first few seconds of “Then Came the Morning,” revealing the sunny, blue-eyed soul vocals of Brian Elmquist and Kanene Doheney Pipkin...

“Allie”—Belle & Sebastian “Allie” is perhaps the most quintessentially Belle & Sebastian-sounding song on the Scottish group’s latest release, “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance,” melding...

“Archie, Marry Me”—Alvvays In a just world, “Archie, Marry Me” would have been the chart-topping hit of the summer. On this track, Alvvays have composed a pop melody so gorgeous and ethereal...

“My Lips Still Taste Of You”—Sylvie Simmons Many artists have a way with words, but few can claim to be a successful music critic for decades before becoming a musician. However, this is the case...

“Paradise Girls”—Deerhoof For the last 20 years, Deerhoof have been one of the many artists pushing the indie-rock envelope, incorporating a dizzying array of avant-garde flourishes and various...

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”—The Flaming Lips Feat. My Morning Jacket, Fever The Ghost & J. Mascis In a move of either sheer brilliance or pure blasphemy, The Flaming Lips have released...