Oshawa, a town pulsating with industry, is the birthplace of exceptional talent such as Ryan Wayne. Growing up in this town, with a father who drove trucks by day and penned songs by night, Ryan was nurtured in a home where melodies intertwined with memories. Summer escapes to the family cabin in the Madawaska Valley provided the backdrop for gatherings that sowed the seeds of his...

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...