Music Suitcase: Favorite New Albums of September 2023
Welcome to the 69th edition of my monthly blog! (Nice.) September was an incredible music month. It was also a busy month for me personally so I’ve only actually written about my highest highlights. Normally this list would be longer, but what’s here is utterly fabulous, and it’s ridiculous that some of these have to be as far down this list as they are.
Along with the blog, here’s a playlist of my favorite songs from September!
Allison Russell, The Returner
While her career’s been planted firmly in roots music and especially folk music for 20+ years, the Montreal-born singer/songwriter’s second solo album veers towards a new, livelier aesthetic with soul music in its heart and elements of disco, baroque pop and French pop adding to the mix. Russell has a remarkable knack for transforming personal and generational trauma into paeans of liberation, and this time you can even dance to them. Highlights: “Rag Child,” “Eve Was Black,” “Stay Right Here,” “Demons”
Animal Collective, Isn’t It Now?
Though still experimental to their core, the band’s follow-up to 2022’s Time Skiffs (with songs germinated at the same time) features some of the warmest and colorful music in their discography, and employs an more consistent palate of psychedelic sounds. Without sacrifing any ambtion, it’s remarkable how smooth this band can sound when they want to. Highlights: “Gem & I,” “Genies Open,” “Defeat”
Ghost of Vroom, Ghost of Vroom 3
Originally the Soul Coughing reunion that Mike Doughty insisted on having with or without his bandmates, here his collaboration with Andrew Livingston finds its own voice. GoV 3 takes Doughty further still from the reliance on upright bass, sax and drums that once couched his beatnik hip hop vocals, and frames him more as an indie emcee with a producer of limitless sonic options. Highlights: “Your Bones in the Mud,” “Yesterday In California,” “I Had To Do It”
Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Data Doom
A stew of heavy psych, blistering garage rock and some perfectly inflected Afro-funk make this LA band’s high energy 7th album an unrelentingly good time. They wear their 21st century influences on their sleeve (Gizzard, Segall, Osees) but there’s more than enough life in that sector to go around, and the Afrobeat and Zamrock influence is a fun twist when it shows up. Highlights: “Burn Me Down,” “Weird Dog,” “Political Canniablism”
Armand Hammer, We Buy Diabetes Test Strips
A stalwart of Brooklyn’s underground rap scene for 20 years, Billy Woods is on fire in 2023, having already released the year’s best rap album in May. His 6th album with Elucid as a duo finds the two rapping over beats and live music as trippy as anything, but with tighter song structures, allowing the sociopolitical urgency to emerge from within the impressionistic poetry of their lyrics. Highlights: “The Gods Must Be Crazy,” “The Flexible Unreliability of Time & Memory,” “Niggardly (Blocked Call)”
The National, Laugh Track
A surprise release just 4 months after their last, The National’s 10th album offers rougher sonics and livelier energy than its predecessor. There’s a restless passion in this music that make this “companion” album a new beast entirely, while for continuity the production similarly wraps itself around Matt Berninger’s stately, poignant lyrics. Highlights: “Weird Goodbyes,” “Smoke Detector,” “Alphabet City”
Buddy and Julie Miller, In The Throes
Their second full album together after a long hiatus, the Tennesee-dwelling roots music power couple share a hopeful collection of songs, largely written by Julie, on which the uncanny combination of their voices sounds as dynamic as ever and the songs ring with thoughtful compassion. Highlights: “You’re My Thrill,” “Niccolo,” “I Love You”
Teenage Fanclub, Nothing Lasts Forever
A steady presence in the power pop world, the Scotish indie rockers focus on simple songcraft and charming harmonies on an utterly beautiful 12th album. As one who prefers the ever-maturing songwriting and increased cohesion between the band’s individual voices — over the reverb-y indie guitars of their early work — their 12th album is a big win. Highlights: “Foreign Land,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “Self-Sedation”
Jeff Rosenstock, Hellmode
With his punk ethic and uncompromising spirit fully intact, the prolific DiY songster offers up his most textured, cleanest album yet and it hits right in the heart, full of passion and yet with a newfound sense of optimism. This seems to the the album where his sensibilities line up the most with mine; amps me up and makes me happy too. Highlights: “Will U Still U,” “Doubt,” “Healmode”
Sparklehorse, Bird Machine
Mark Linkous’s posthumous album was finished by friends, family and collaborators 13 years after his death and shows as broad a range of his musical inclinations from raw, direct noisy guitar rock to sweet, intimately-voiced indie folk. Highlights: “Falling Down,” “Hello Lord,” “Daddy’s Gone”
Speedy Ortiz, Rabbit, Rabbit
The Northampton, Massachusetts-based band’s 4th album features a dynamic mixture of hooky power pop and 90s-loving guitar-driven indie rock, with Sadie Dupuis’s melodically adventurous vocals and rich lyrics running the show. Highlights: “Ranch Vs. Ranch,” “You S02,” “Ghostwriter”
Slowdive, Everything Is Alive
The shoegaze pioneers’ second album post-reunion is all about the atmosphere, just as Slowdive have always been, but with a shift into synthier, clearer soundscapes, they’re still growing and exploring. Highlights: “Kisses,” “Prayer Remembered,” “Alife”
The Chemical Brothers, For That Beautiful Feeling
High energy electronica with lots of sick sounds, this is the Chemical Brothers doing much of what they do best, and like much of their best work, this one is less about standout hits and more with a steady dosing of infectious grooves. Highlights: “Live Again,” “No Reason,” “Feels Like I Am Dreaming”
And here are 6albums I can’t believe I didn’t get to, that any other month I would’ve been sure to write about, which you should also check out!
Wilco — Cousin
Slaughter Beach, Dog — Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling
Yeuele — Softscars
Cherry Glazerr — I Don’t Want You Anymore
Pale Blue Eyes — This House
Mitski — The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We
You can find highlights from those albums, as well as my favorite songs from all the above albums, on my Best of September playlist!
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While we’re here…
Did you enjoy this article? Awesome! It was written by someone privileged enough to have time listen to like 40 albums every month and write a blog as a passion project, for free.
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Nerding out over music is fun, but let’s not forget that we live in a burning world that needs our help! Black Lives Matter.