The new single from Slovakian DIY architect H-dMan Such, “Empty Phrases,” begins with a sound that feels both familiar and askew, like a classic car sputtering on the wrong kind of fuel. There's a sun-bleached Britrock swagger in the guitar work, a confident strut down a familiar road. https://open.spotify.com/track/4tG7pp3IFwp9rQZSNjzMZL?si=EzYN3PMTRVi5vnvURkbF-w But something is swirling just beneath the surface, a psychedelic shimmer that hints at engine trouble, or...

There is something deliciously conspiratorial about Hidden Shores and the release of the "Neon Silence" EP. I find myself picturing the artist wiping chalk dust off their hands after a day of teaching elementary schoolers, only to go home, dim the lights, and converse with algorithms. It’s not your typical moonlighting gig; while most are decompressing with reality TV, Hidden Shores is out there...