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...

Rebecca Anderson’s new single, "In the Beginning," lands with the quiet insistence of finding an unexpected patch of vibrant green moss flourishing on a stark city sidewalk – something natural and enduring where you didn't anticipate it. This is Soulful R&B from the LA-based, classically trained artist, but it carries an unusual stillness, a contemplative core. Anderson isn't aiming for chart-storming bombast; instead, the...