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...

RSAI’s new single, “Let The Good Times Roll,” has waltzed into my listening rotation, and honestly, it feels a bit like finding an unexpected party already in full swing in your own living room. This Moscow-based musician seems intent on manufacturing pure, unadulterated joy, the kind that fizzes up from your toes and demands a bit of a shimmy, whether you’re ready for it...