Brett Bolton EP1
The multimedia wizard behind the stage visuals for Billie Eilish, Paramore, Purity Ring, U2 and countless others returns with his first audiovisual EP—and it’s a treat for the senses. The five-track EP offers a window into Bolton’s process, in which he combines his drums, touchpad and real-time AV systems to create an experience that transcends both sound and color. On YouTube, live videos of Bolton performing the EP puts his artistry into perspective. Visuals evolve in pursuit of his drumming, electronic soundscapes blurring into chromatic cool blues and fringed geometrics onscreen. The visuals serve as more than just a companion to the EP, they’re essential. Bolton’s tracks take on such a fluid form, it’s hard to realize when one ends and the other begins. This is the ultimate EP if you enjoy music with a fair amount of color. (brettbolton.net) –AS
Jae Douglass Infected
Jae Douglass leans hard into genre-blurring on Infected, a five-track EP that feels both playful and emotionally earnest. Released in November, the project captures the rising artist sharpening his R&B identity while weaving in hip-hop and indie-leaning production. The record hums with the intoxication of new love, caught in a space where certainty and disbelief coexist. On “Nice,” he sings, “How long has life been hiding you from me/How long until I wake up from this dream,” capturing the vulnerability that runs throughout the record. The title cut shows flashes of emotional clarity, with the latter’s guitar-led finale pushing the EP into its most compelling, dreamlike territory. “Photo Booth” stands out, pairing trap-infused beats with introspection in a way that feels focused, confident, and closest to Douglass’ core voice. (soundcloud.com/jaedouglass) –GR
Quinn Ayers & Craig Lone Runitback!
The followup to melodic rap singer Quinn Ayers’ confessionally driven Necessary Emotions ratchets up the bass and the bangers, with DJ Craig Lone seasoning the pot. The 15-track LP has a palpable swagger to it, especially on woozy slow burns like “Preshuh!” and the strutting hook of “Feelso!” Ayers, as a quintessential lover boy, still wrestles with toxic women but the mood of the album feels less brooding and more kinetic. “Feelsumn!” for example bursts with a brightly pitched-up flow and an electropop bass that could live on the dancefloor of any Downtown club. Ayers and Lone shift gears just enough to keep you guessing. The production is also a character in itself. Resonant guitar work simmers on “Top!” while the hard-hitting “Freestyle!” introduces live percussion. On Runitback! Ayers and Lone sound like they’re having a blast, and that energy is contagious. (quinnayersmusic.komi.io) –AS
Rhaina Yasmin Magician
Magician arrives with the quiet confidence of a record that already knows its emotional damage. On her November EP, Rhaina Yasmin invites listeners not merely to feel, but to linger with nostalgia, grief and the dull ache of what once felt permanent. Across five tracks, the singer-songwriter constructs an intimate indie-folk world. Her stripped-back guitar work and controlled vocals cut close to the bone, refusing melodrama while still leaving a bruise. The acoustic opener “Your Daughter” immediately sets the tone. Her ethereal vocals float atop environmental textures, evoking the sacredness of the outdoors while grounding the song in the complexity of what it means to be a good daughter. “Dagger” pivots toward a more kinetic indie pulse, layering plugged-in riffs and unresolved tension. Magician has been long awaited and reflects Yasmin’s profound musicianship. (linktr.ee/rhainayasmin) –GR
