SHAB channels survival itself on her new single, "Skin & Bones". The Persian American artist, a former refugee who rebuilt her life to become a prominent advocate for displaced persons globally, delivers something completely fascinating here. Born in the terrifying aftermath of her partner’s severe car crash, you might anticipate a heavy, mourning dirge. Instead, she weaponizes euphoria. https://open.spotify.com/track/6hdR6RTBE4SaYeg0sMg6Q7?si=72acc5770cc14863 The song hits you with an unabashedly...

Dylan Forshner's new EP, “Hopeless Optimism,” presents itself not so much as a collection of songs but as a series of candid diary entries set to intricately picked acoustic strings. This five-song journey from the Welland, Canada artist begins in a place of palpable internal wrestling, where the lyrics – and Forshner’s delivery – map out the grim territories of being overwhelmed, using substances...