Nels Cline, courtesy Nathan West.

This week, we bring you jazz from Nels Cline and Céline Dessberg, folk from Blue Monkey, country from Harper O’Neill and pop from CLOVER, Alisa Xayalith and Yael S. Copeland.

Céline Dessberg, “Selenge” – Dessberg is a singer-songwriter and harpist of French and Mongolian heritage. She brings an eclectic blend of influences to her music, from traditional Mongolian to jazz and new wave. While she does sing, her yatga (traditional Mongolian harp) takes the spotlight on this grooving instrumental. Her EP Hödöö is out now.

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CLOVER, “Used to It” – This catchy pop number combines the best of ’70s folk with modern-day synths and beats. CLOVER tells the story of falling in love with her partner and taking him on a cross-country road trip. “I don’t want to get used to your love,” CLOVER sings in the chorus, appreciating the joy of newfound love even while she feels like it’s all too good to be true. Her new EP, Atlas, is out on May 30.

Alisa Xayalith, “What the Hell Do We Do Now?” – Since her band The Naked and Famous went on hiatus, New-Zealand-born, Los-Angeles-based Alisa Xayalith is stepping out on her own. This song is all about the confusion of when both people in a relationship feel stuck and like they’re at an impasse. “Broke your heart, I didn’t mean it/ Wish it didn’t drag us so far down,” Xayalith sings. Her debut solo full-length album, Slow Crush, is out April 4.

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Blue Monkey, “Golden Rule” – This track was inspired by the golden rule of William Morris: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Blue Monkey is the moniker of Charlee Ramirez, and her light, charming folk-pop is truly a breath of fresh air. She sings about trying to curate her own life in this vein, enjoying the beauty and simplicity of timeless things like “Singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ at the ballgame/ Swaying with the strangers next to you.”

Nels Cline, “Down Close” – Nels Cline is probably best known as the (amazing) guitarist for Wilco, but he’s played on over 150 albums from a diverse array of artists and genres. His new album finds him playing as one quarter of a jazz quartet with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Tom Rainey. Laubrock’s adventurous saxophone particularly shines in “Down Close.” Consentrik Quartet is out on March 14.

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Yael S. Copeland, “2am” – This song is all about ephemeral connections. Yael S. Copeland sings of two strangers sharing an unguarded late-night conversation, and the immediacy of the closeness they feel. “We will probably only be friends for this night/ Maybe ‘til the morning,” she admits over woozy synths that conjure the feeling of a dark night in a dingy bar. Her EP Hide & Seek is on the way.

Harper O’Neill, “My Love, My Love” – This bluesy country rocker captures the ecstasy of new love with not one but two key changes! Dallas-born, Nashville-based Harper O’Neill brings her unique raspy voice to this tune about the escalating intensity of obsessive love. “I’ll always be there when you call for my love, my love,” she sings. O’Neill will be opening for Alex Lambert on tour beginning this month.

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Rachel’s pick: I’m a huge Wilco fan, so I’m always happy to check out whatever Nels Cline is up to. So much of jazz is improvisation, and you can tell that Cline and the other consummate players in his quartet are really enjoying playing off of each other here. It seems like this project leans more toward traditional jazz than his last album with The Nels Cline Singers, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the record.

Follow Rachel Alm on Instagram at @thousandfold and on Bluesky at @thousandfold.bsky.social.