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...

Shyfrin Alliance’s single "Buddha Blues" drifts in like smoke under a door, carrying a peculiar scent – maybe old books and roadside diners? Founded by the rather polymathic Eduard Shyfrin (whose credentials span authorship, science, and classical piano), the project tackles big ideas, and this track is no exception. It sets up shop right at the crossroads of fleeting intimacy and determined solitude. https://open.spotify.com/album/4P9DJeygqxYfBxUIrC1gwZ?si=zhE5YvnCTma5rOKP0z7y1g There’s a...