Although I tried to enjoy the end of summer to the best of my ability, I can’t drag it out anymore; fall is here and there’s no denying it. My most vivid memories tend to be ones from transitional periods in my life, like changing seasons, and the music I listen to during them usually sticks with me long after those times have passed.
For that reason, the music I discovered this September feels like it will stay in my rotation and my memory even after the season passes.
“Mic City Sons” by Heatmiser
It’s hard for me to quantify the impact Elliott Smith’s music has had on me; the singularity of his voice and the universality of his writing have affected me in ways that are nothing short of spiritual. I’ve heard nearly everything he’s ever written, but this September was the first time I fully listened to “Mic City Sons” — Smith’s 1996 album with his band, Heatmiser.
This album is sonically grittier than much of Smith’s solo work, filled with heavy guitar work and varying tempos. The album closer “Half Right” is a down-tempo, self-deprecating track made up of three verses and a bridge. Smith’s intimate lyrical style is on display here, especially in the song’s third verse; “With a broken sink for a face / And a head that just takes up space / He’s not half right,” are lines only he could write.
Diving into Smith’s music for the first time years ago was transformative for me, and I’ve been saving this album for a rainy day when I needed to have the experience of hearing his work for the first time again. This September I got to feel that, and it was truly a gift.
“Detour (Rare N’ Deluxe)” by Kim Petras
Kim Petras’ “Detour” has turned out to be one of my favorite albums of this year, so I was eager to receive the four new tracks she released this month as part of the album’s deluxe edition. These songs feel like a natural expansion of the original track list, extending it in a way that doesn’t feel excessive or unnecessary.
“Rare N’ Deluxe” opens the run of new tracks with industrial production and syncopated, autotuned vocals giving it a futuristic sound. Its chorus is an ode to wealth and excess rhyming Dior, here and superior in a way that only works when delivered in Petras’ German accent and deliberately strange pronunciation. “Like a Cherry” is a fun, sugary sweet hyperpop song that would have sounded perfectly at home on the standard version of “Detour.”
The real standout among these new tracks, though, is “Autobahn,” a truly stunning song about wandering around aimlessly in hopes of getting over someone and literally considering walking into oncoming traffic to escape the pain. It’s melodramatic and very evocative, steeped in the nostalgia of its 1990s trip-hop-inspired sound. Its resigned, nihilistic outlook and dreamily atmospheric production make it perfect to listen to on a long, contemplative walk this autumn.
If there’s anything I took away from Tinashe’s eighth studio album “Popstar,” it’s that she absolutely lives up to its namesake and I wish she was more widely recognized as such; despite years of hard work and an undeniable star quality, Tinashe remains a niche gem largely unappreciated by the general public.
She contends with this reality on much of the album, addressing it in most vivid detail on “Empty Stadium.” The song is developed around the concept of a bad dream in which Tinashe is performing to a vacant crowd, singing without being heard. “Finally almost had it / Everything that I imagined,” she sings, seemingly reflecting on the aftermath of her hit “Nasty,” which earned her online virality in 2024. The song reflects on a moment when mainstream stardom seemed just within reach, before it slipped away into memory.
This album’s greatest success is its artful blend of multiple genres. “Too Easy” and “Melatonin” push Tinashe further into a hyper-pop sound than she has ever been, and “Pillow Fight” is a playful, sultry track whose plucky piano flourishes nod back to Y2K-era R&B. “I’d Rather Be Alone” is a delicious midtempo R&B-pop blend with a melodic cadence reminiscent of an Ariana Grande vocal passage, really allowing Tinashe’s voice to shine.
On “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore,” Tinashe rejects Generation Z cringe culture and rolls her eyes at the kind of people who think they’re too cool to dance. It’s one of the most enjoyable, danceable tracks on the album and a testament to Tinashe’s effortless confidence and star power.
