Stream: New releases from Jensen McRae, Azure Ray, Cola Boyy and Deap Vally

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From left: Jensen McRae (photo by Jeanie Jeanie); Azure Ray (photo by Liz Bretz); Cola Boyy (photo by Ross Harris); Deap Vally

In this roundup, we touch on new albums/EPs from Jensen McRae, Azure Ray, Cola Boyy and Deap Vally, all ready to be opened now that there’s been a reopening …

JENSEN McRAE, “Who Hurt You?”

The debut EP from the 23-year-old Woodland Hills native won’t disappoint anyone smitten by the emotional depth and equipoise she displayed in the singles “White Boy,” “Wolves,” “Starting to Get to You” and the Phoebe Bridgers homage “Immune.” Reminiscent of troubadours such as Tracy Chapman, as well as her folk and dream-pop contemporaries, McRae could anchor the soundtrack to the film “Reality Still Bites, 2021,” surely in development somewhere. (McRae opens for Rufus Wainwright and Aimee Mann at the Greek Theatre on Sept. 9.)

AZURE RAY, “Remedy”

Twenty years since they made their loud, quiet entrance, the duo of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink are back with their first album in more than a decade. And if the sublimely immersive “Remedy” is not exactly what its title advertises, it’s at least sorely needed salve, writerly and nuanced dream-pop from artists who (to cop a line from a TV commercial) have seen a thing or two. “Bad Dream” (their “summertime jam”) is a good entrée; “I Don’t Want To Want To” could only be written by this pair; and opener “Swallowing Swords” somehow sounds like angels visiting Mercury Rev. Quiet please, Azure Ray is singing.

COLA BOYY, “Prosthetic Boombox”

A wildly exuberant collision of pop, disco and funk, the debut album from Cola Boyy — Oxnard’s Matthew Urango — is like a sonic high-five. It’s not just the celebratory music, but the sound of Urango, who was born with spina bifida and scoliosis, triumphing over his hardscrabble upbringing. “Kid Born in Space” and “Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood” are the album’s cornerstones, but he forays into various styles with such glee you can’t help but join the party. “Mailbox,” “Roses” and “You Can Do It” are exemplary of his indomitable spirit. Let summer begin.

DEAP VALLY, “American Cockroach”

File under: The Continuing Adventures Of. Deap Vally, the dynamic duo of Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards, released their collaboration-loaded “Digital Dream” EP in March, which followed their 2020 collab with the Flaming Lips, “Deap Lips.” Their new four-song EP, which leads with “Give Me a Sign,” has guest stars as well — Jennie Vee (Eagles of Death Metal) and Ayse Hassan (Savages). Take a moment with the video for “I Like Crime.”