Lynsey Tibbs. Royston, England. Sounds like the beginning of a particularly charming British mystery novel, doesn't it? Except instead of a whodunit, we have a what-is-it. And "Hold Me Close," Tibbs' new single, is most definitely a what-is-it. A delightful one, mind you. https://open.spotify.com/album/1TYMGZOnQYSdWX218aSmNk?si=stC74-PqRwmJIUsXojdmJg The song, crafted with Keir More (instrumentation, structure, co-writer – hats off to collaborative synergy!), plunges you headfirst into the deep end...

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...