THE HYBRIS, a masked virtual trio—Ringo Rabbit, Beanie Bison, and Malcolm Mandrill—posing as superhero wannabes, drop their new album "t h r e e." They claim a mission to save the world with tunes. It's alt-rock, doused with punk sneer, a splash of 80s neon, and enough stadium-rock ambition to make Bono blush. But does it soar? https://open.spotify.com/album/77fXBjseRJRoWbGrHSGAwB?si=HVX0tqQlRTCswO0HaDxAgQ Well. This record digs its claws deep, like...

Listening to “Small Town Syndrome” by thinking silly is an exercise in delightful contradiction. Dylan Morrison’s project, shaped here by the production hand of collaborator Margot Taylor, builds a sleek, propulsive chassis of dark pop and minimal techno, only to house an engine of pure, grinding ache. It’s the sound of someone forcing a smile so wide their face hurts, a dance track for...