The sudden, unexpected death of a parent and close friend is enough to throw anyone’s life into turmoil. Such was the case for Terra Lopez, who had been recording dark pop music with her project Sister Crayon for years before her father committed suicide in 2015, and one of her best friends died in a boating accident in early 2016. At that point, Lopez completely reassessed her music. “I feel like that name [Sister Crayon] needs to be put to rest along with them,” she told the Sacramento Bee. With a new vision and a new major label record deal at her side, she reinvented her sound, renamed her band Rituals of Mine, and started writing her most honest and personal songs yet. You can hear her new approach on the new EP Sleeper Hold, which features Lopez’s cathartic lyrics set to a gentle collision of slo-mo R&B, icy electronic beats, and cool trip-hop vibes. by Ben Salmon