(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "LOSE CONTROL") TEDDY SWIMS: (Singing ... then current events such as the Black Lives Matter protests. The lyrics on his new album are more obscure, hinting at deep emotions ...

Rock critic Ken Tucker recommends three songs that are recent additions to his playlist: "Are You Even Real," by Swims; "Same Kind of Lonely," by Booker; and "big change," by Young.