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...

TWOFEW’s new single, “Let It Go,” lands with the resonant thud of a heartfelt admission, the kind you only make when the room’s too loud to be properly heard. This Phoenix, Arizona quartet – Michael Lazar leading on vocals and keys, David Lazar wrestling with guitar, John Sebring on drums laying down a defiant pulse, and Danielle Lazar anchoring the low end on bass...