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...

Listening to Amara Fe’s debut album, "Reborn", is a peculiar act of unearthing. You expect a phoenix from the flames, a cannon-blast of arrival. Instead, you get something far more interesting: the sound of a locked room being patiently, methodically picked from the inside. https://open.spotify.com/album/7zIfmVK9TgMY8u2Pe38w6l?si=kMej8MhJS2m-kUlmpDntpw This isn't the clamor of a wrecking ball tearing down old walls for attention. It’s the quiet, assured scent of old...