This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors: Arifur Rahman, Words By Shoaib, and Irfan Ayaan.
Every Friday (more or less), right on cue, we drop a new edition of Between The Cracks, our weekly dive into new music from across the globe that’s simply too good to overlook. This time around, releases from Anthony Calonico, Bruno Berle, DROID, Ruth Garbus, and more are lighting up our ears. Tune into this week’s batch of musical medicine, and if something strikes a chord, show the artists and labels some love. Happy listening.
Albums
Anthony Calonico – Spacious Heart
Anthony Calonico steps beyond his work with Total Blue on Spacious Heart, a debut that values patience over spectacle. Written across four years, the album blends ambient jazz, minimalism, and understated songwriting into a deeply personal statement. Warm synthesisers, gentle piano, and spacious production create an inviting atmosphere where every sound feels carefully considered, while Calonico’s soft vocals provide an intimate emotional centre. ‘Gray Glow’ offers one of the album’s most immersive moments. Shimmering keyboards, delicate rhythmic movement, and restrained melodic development create a quietly immersive experience. Rather than chasing dramatic peaks, the arrangement unfolds naturally, revealing subtle details that reward close listening and repeated returns. ‘Hillside’ offers a brighter companion, balancing glowing melodies with fluid instrumentation. Gentle guitars and warm keys intertwine effortlessly, while Calonico’s understated vocal delivery keeps the song grounded. Its unhurried pacing reinforces the album’s emphasis on atmosphere, connection, and emotional honesty over conventional songwriting formulas. Elsewhere, ‘Ether’, the aptly titled ‘Whispers’, and ‘Soft Blue‘ also stand out. Throughout Spacious Heart, Calonico demonstrates remarkable confidence in simplicity. Every composition breathes naturally, allowing texture, melody, and silence to work together. The result is a beautifully crafted debut that lingers long after it ends. – WBS
Bruno Berle – Sem Fronteiras
Bruno Berle’s Sem Fronteiras (Without Borders) feels light on its feet yet emotionally expansive, carrying the warmth of Brazilian songwriting into a broader, borderless perspective. Each arrangement is understated, letting gentle guitars, soft keyboards, and subtle rhythms support Berle’s remarkably expressive voice. Rather than chasing grand statements, the album finds its strength in quiet moments of intimacy and shared humanity. Recorded across London, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Germany, and Maceió, the album was co-produced alongside his longstanding musical partner Batata Boy. The album opens with ‘Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo‘, just six beats of a single nylon guitar chord ring out before changing key, paving the way for the gentle strike of the Fender Rhodes and the arresting call-and-response duet between Berle and Nyron Higor. On ‘Amor Inteiro‘, the album reaches a celebratory burst of catharsis, with Pedro Lacerda‘s punch-packing drums and Nina Maia’s joyous backing vocals capturing the live energy Berle and his band bring to the stage. ‘Manhã’, with its graceful melody and effortless flow, reflects the record’s collaborative energy. Berle’s friend and fellow Alagoan João Menezes (writer of ‘Até Meu Violão’ and ‘Te Amar Eterno’ from Bruno’s previous albums) and Marvin Viera wrote the song, and they originally recorded it on their 2018 album Areia e Mar. Berle’s restrained delivery gives every lyric a natural sincerity. The song radiates optimism without ever feeling sentimental or overstated. ‘Não Posso Viver Sem Você’ offers another standout moment, pairing delicate instrumentation with heartfelt vocal phrasing. Its elegant simplicity highlights Berle’s gift for writing songs that linger long after they end, balancing tenderness with rhythmic ease. Across its concise runtime, Sem Fronteiras never feels rushed. Instead, it unfolds like a series of personal conversations shaped by friendship, travel, and generosity. Berle delivers an inviting collection that celebrates connection through beautifully crafted songs and understated musical elegance. – WBS
DROID – CHARGE
Some albums ease you in. CHARGE, the latest release from DROID, does the opposite—it grabs you by the collar and drops you straight into its unstable, electrically charged world. Co-founded by Amir Ziv (drums and electronics) and Jordan McLean (trumpet and electronics), DROID is completed by Adam Holzman (synths) and Tim Lefebvre (bass and electric guitar). Across eight tracks, the group builds something that feels less like a conventional jazz record and more like a controlled collision between improvisation, distortion, rhythm, and machine-like textures. The opener, ‘Set‘, immediately establishes the mood. An unresolved bass pattern keeps circling beneath distorted trumpet and synthesiser lines, seemingly determined to disrupt any sense of comfort. It is tense, abrasive, and strangely hypnotic. Then comes ‘Eat Everything‘, which pushes the energy into something more aggressive. The rhythm hits harder, the textures become rawer, and sudden shifts keep the track from settling into predictability. Perhaps the most striking moment is ‘Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic‘. The title already suggests absurdity, but the music takes that idea further -frantic movement, unstable melodies, and a dark sense that something is quietly falling apart beneath all the activity. What makes CHARGE interesting is that its chaos rarely feels accidental. Every distorted sound, restless groove, and unexpected turn seems to serve the album’s atmosphere. This isn’t background music, and it doesn’t particularly care whether you’re comfortable. For listeners willing to step into something tense, unpredictable, and occasionally overwhelming, CHARGE offers a fascinating ride through controlled musical disorder. – AR
Ruth Garbus – Profound
On Profound, Ruth Garbus embraces clarity over complexity, crafting a collection that feels warm, reflective, and quietly liberating. Blending indie folk, psych-pop, and subtle experimental touches, the Vermont songwriter balances playful arrangements with deeply personal writing, allowing themes of ageing, self-acceptance, and emotional renewal to unfold with remarkable grace. Rich harmonies, vintage drum machines, softly distorted guitars, and elegant keyboard textures give the album a distinctive character without ever overshadowing its emotional core. Offering an early glimpse of the record, ‘I Think I’m Ready Now’ immediately establishes the record’s welcoming tone. Gentle melodies and thoughtful lyricism capture a growing sense of confidence, while Garbus delivers every line with understated sincerity. The song feels less like a declaration and more like a quiet realisation, inviting listeners into the album’s reflective atmosphere. Another advance single, ‘Sunny Summer Guy’, reveals the album’s lighter side. Built around breezy hooks, playful imagery, and infectious warmth, it showcases Garbus at her most relaxed and joyful. Beneath its easygoing surface, the track still carries the thoughtful songwriting that defines the record, proving that optimism can be just as emotionally resonant as introspection. Throughout Profound, Garbus never forces big emotional moments, instead trusting subtle arrangements and honest storytelling to leave a lasting impression. The result is a graceful, deeply human album that celebrates growth, vulnerability, and the quiet satisfaction of becoming comfortable in your own skin. – WBS
EP’s
Djrum – I Wander
Electronic, glitch, post-dubstep, ambient, idm, classical – the sonic palette is yours to explore, all conjured from the endlessly inventive mind of Felix Manuel, better known as Djrum. His latest spin on electronic music bursts with even more imagination and daring spirit than last year’s stunning Under Tangled Silence album. The fact that he fits all these styles into a tight 16‑minute suite makes the whole thing even more remarkable. I Wander is a masterclass in tension. While the digital release partitions the experience into seven distinct movements, the music demands to be consumed as a continuous, linear stream. Snag the vinyl; I already grabbed mine. – CFS
Taftir – Od Layla Ba Ayara
Taftir introduce Od Layla Ba Ayara, their debut EP for Batov Records, a four‑track set shaped by place, spontaneity and the quiet dynamics of a small, isolated desert community. Rooted in psychedelic rock but coloured by Middle Eastern traditions, instrumental soul and groove‑led analogue textures, the project captures a band forming in real time. Across the EP, the band favours feel over precision and collective movement over individual display. Lead single ‘Ayara’ sets the tone with a raw, one‑take groove built on modal playing and cyclical rhythm. ‘Ahhh… Raj!’ drifts from slow, wandering, Middle Eastern‑leaning psych into heavier, more fluid territory, while ‘Tavasim’ offers a mellow, soul‑soaked counterpoint with faint folk‑blues phrasing. The closing track ‘Yaris’ pushes furthest into volatility, locking into dembow‑leaning percussion and maqam‑traced lines that shift in and out of half‑time. You can feel this record wasn’t rehearsed to death; it carries a rawness that pulls you in. Listen below. – IA
