There are some songs that make you feel like they came from your own mind, that understand in a way that feels maybe a bit too close for comfort. And Somerville-based artist Saccharine‘s most recent full-length release Hollow Space is filled with them. In the vein of Ben Gibbard, Kevin King has infused emotional lyrics with an earnest and energetic delivery that leaves the listener feeling a whirlwind of excitement, awe, heartbreak. On this release, King’s songwriting is unrivaled, his arrangements are cathartic; the result is a set of songs that linger much longer than expected. See Saccharine live at O’Brien’s Pub in Allston on March 1, alongside Burlington rock darlings Clever Girls, who are currently on tour heading towards the Midwest. Until then, stream the full album below. – Lilly Milman

Sid Simons, the leader of Brooklyn freak folk collective Girl Skin, embodies the spirit of a wandering musician in a contemporary context. Originally of Portland, Oregon (with stints in Australia and Shanghai prior to settling in New York), Simons makes it immediately clear that he has channeled his long, strange trip into the group’s sonic output; the band’s last single “Bite Real Hard” prominently features acoustic guitars against mandolin accents and an echoey, sliding voice. Before getting too dedicated to a folksy, Americana sound, however, “Bite” becomes electric, drone-laden shredding emerging from the woodwork as Simon repeats, “everything I know, I have from you.” It’s a distinctly modern twist on the folk of yesteryear, reflecting Girl Skin’s ability to blend both old and new styles into a cohesive, instantly classic output.

Girl Skin will head south to SXSW next month, but they’ll be back at Rockwood Music Hall on April 7th. In the meantime, go for a walkabout and watch the video for “Bite Real Hard.” -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Andy DeLuca

Matt Jatkola and D. Orxata make up the Boston-based eclectic indie-pop duo FBGM. Their newest single "High" (streaming below) is a bouncy ode to highs and lows. The buoyant melody is kept afloat by a breezy delivery of deadpan lyrics like "How do you get me so high in the morning? … Why is it easy to cry in the morning?" The lyrics operate in paradoxes, and the production effortlessly adds a shimmery texture. Written, produced, recorded, and mixed by Jatkola himself, the track is steeped in a heavy dose of experience and sentimentality. It’s undoubtedly the work of people who care about what they are creating, while also playing around with infectious pop sensibilities. FBGM is currently on a west coast tour and will return to New England on March 10 to play Hutghi’s at the Nook in Westfield, MA. – Lilly Milman

The atmospheric, often ethereal soundscapes of Brooklyn’s Raia Was are perfectly executed exercises in restraint, where a powerful vocal performance sharply navigates the dimly lit labyrinth of downtempo art pop. Her most recent release “Reprise” is a focused, minimalist effort – a song that reads as a lonely internal monologue on a cold, winter night. Was’s vox never explodes or relies on any melodramatic twists and turns, but rather plays counterpoint to the track’s synthy elements, finding strength in its hushed, sometimes breathy qualities; it serves as a preview of more carefully crafted tunes on Raia’s forthcoming debut record, Angel I’m Frightened (Side A/ Side B), which drops this spring.

Raia Was will perform tracks from her upcoming LP at Berlin on March 6th, supported by fellow Brooklynite Harb. Stream “Reprise” below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Lissy Laricchia

China’s newest single “And Then Nothing Happened” has the classic markers of a good country song: the story-telling, the clever lines, and twang all up in their guitars. Vocalist Michael James Tapscott has more of a Jeff Tweedy style than a true country boy, but we like that. The title track off their new album has lines like: “I’m nothing without my baby/and there’s nothing for me after last call.” Good ol’ fashioned Americana values. Overall, their album has a gentle Tom Petty feeling to it (check out track “Crossing the Ohio”). It’s full of lovely harmonies and everytime that sexy pedal steel touches a song it’s a fine moment indeed. How to summarize the album? To steal a quote from the band, they “…are a bunch of beautiful losers caught in a freeze frame hovering somewhere between mundanity and epiphany.” Give these losers a listen here, see them tonight at Papermill Creek Saloon, and catch them locally when they’re back from their West Coast Tour. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor