1) Ezra Furman, “All of Us Flames” / The latest from Ezra Furman is a true marvel: a classic sense of pop songcraft wraps around a very present, in-the-moment form of self-expression. The result is art which is immediate yet able to stretch across multiple hearings. It feels like punk rock and the Great American Songbook all at once.
2) Valerie June, “Under Cover” / June is a serious talent, possessing a remarkable natural instrument and a nimble ability to unite rock, soul, pop and country. June’s new covers record allows her to play the role of master interpreter, and anyone who runs a rendering of “Fade Into You” into “Look at Miss Ohio” (and sells them both) deserves praise.
3) Jimetta Rose and Voices of Creation, “How Good It Is” / A Los Angeles Rose, this vibrant artist guides the choral ensemble Voices of Creation through an EP that is swirling yet sturdy like The Solid Rock, Spirit-filled and deeply earthy. This is gospel music for every day of the week.
4) Katie Gutierrez, “More Than You’ll Ever Know” / Gutierrez’s debut novel occurs along many borders—the ones dividing Texas and Mexico, past and present, idealism and transgression, an outsize, spilling-over love and damaged selfishness. The story examines a murder mystery involving bigamy, but Gutierrez’s talents transcend the sensational elevator pitch, weaving together interior and exterior lives in staggering fashion.
5) Steve Edwards, “Luminescence” for The Sun / Ever-grateful for Edwards’ work, this one snared me with its opening paragraphs, a quietly rhapsodic description of distant sources of light. Edwards then adjusts the aperture gently, almost imperceptibly, to gaze at the lights which burn bright within beloved people. Documenting loss, yet showing how someone else’s flame glows beyond them, the essay touches some of the most fundamental (yet most mysterious) aspects of our living.