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...

Amy-Lin Slezak’s new single, “How Dare She,” kicks down the door with a question that’s less query, more accusation hurled across the digital divide. Slezak, who comes dusted with the rigour of opera and theatre training and is now navigating the independent release currents after raising a family, certainly knows about delivering a line with intent. And this one lands squarely. https://open.spotify.com/album/2p9AmZOeCrrsGm4HafrEqi?si=noRc0H-DR9-kRLxdD2Qkog The track pulses with...