There’s a particular electricity to spring’s last weeks—the sense of standing tip-toe at summer’s threshold while nature keeps teasing us with false starts. One moment, the sun spills golden and reckless; the next, a cold drizzle sends you scrambling for shelter. These songs mimic that restless, hopeful energy. Some are full of forward momentum, others move slower, savoring the quiet growth happening beneath the surface—the steady return of light, the patient unfurling of wha

By Niko Abian Dexter Shack performing at the University of Washington Battle of the Bands on April 13 (Photo/Courtesy of Howard Shack)...