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...

Dr. Cryme has not lowered his standards in any way, despite the fact that his Kwasi EP from the previous year was met with a great deal of praise from critics and fans alike. He has had a fruitful start to the new year, highlighted by the debut of the music video for the song "Too Known" that he wrote and performed. The fourth track on...