Felly continues to expand his craft, sharpening his songwriting skills. On “Still Young” he delivers a high-pitched falsetto mid-song that steals the show. Then, seconds later, there’s a Santana-like guitar riff that drives the song home with fervor. He’s always bringing something new, unlike so many artists in hip hop.

After coming off as a Coldplay copycat, Mat Kearney has spent the rest of his career trying to prove he has his own sound, which he does. “Odds” is proof of that, delivering his trademark vocals with a rap delivery. He’s dropped some great songs along the way, and this is one of them.

Toad is prepping for their latest release by releasing a new single each week. Last Friday Micheal McDonald was singing with the group, and now we get a song that sounds very similar to the last two. I’m hoping they change it up a bit on the rest of the record.

Bartees Strange and Illuminati Hotties are “Pool Hopping” and window shopping on my favorite track of the week. I love to be surprised and this combo gives me that pleasure. I especially love what Bartees does on this remixed version, but you can check creator Sarah Tudzin‘s original video below. She’s cute, bubbly, and I’ll be damned if she’s not endearing.

Future Islands remixes “Beautiful Beaches” for James, and it reminds me more of the former than the latter. The only part of the song from the original version that is decipherable lies in Tim Booth’s incredible vocal for the chorus. “Take our chances/Get out of Kansas/Escape.”

Speaking of Future Islands, they return this week with a nice little number called “Peach.” It’s an upbeat lull, something they’ve perfected and something I’ve come to really enjoy.

Your Jazz Cut Of The Week is “Milano” from Henrik Janson. It might be a bit more classical, but there’s a silky jazz vibe to the fingerpicking in this 2-minute manifesto.

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