Diaries of a Broken Heart (White Whale)

As long as people have hearts to be trampled on and relationships to toss down the shitter, we'll continue to need breakup songs. With titles like "Celebrate the End", "In Frustration", "Waste", and "Apologies", it's pretty clear that Castle Project mastermind Ryan Ostiguy has spent some time on the lonely side of the street. These are songs that document that aching, interminable moment when the fire has gone out but the pain still burns. Maybe it's all been said before, but Ostiguy makes the ache convincing with his heartfelt singing. He also plays most of the instruments himself, and his classic, layered approach to downbeat pop (with able assistance from producer Howard Redekopp) makes Diaries of a Broken Heart a winner, tailor-made for anyone who has ever spent the wee hours staring at the bedroom ceiling and wondering how in the hell everything went so terribly wrong.