Noots Letter: When September Ends
September 2023
Friends, lovers, cowboys. Nice to see you. A few weeks ago I proclaimed September was the best month, and based on these new album releases, it did indeed exceed expectations. Let’s get into it.
If you live under a rock…
Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS (2023). Where SOUR (2021) was sad about being a teen, GUTS is angry about being in your twenties and not feeling much better. I, for one, am so glad I am not her age anymore, but I will root for her throughout these brilliant ideas and bad math anyways.
If you’ve missed my new personality trait…
It’s telling everyone they should listen to Chappell Roan! Someday I’ll shut up about The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023), but not in October probably because I’m seeing her live! I hope she showers us with glitter and we all hug!!
If you want some Quintessential Noots Picks…
These are the ones the online algorithm fed me over the years and really nailed: Molly Burch, Daydreamer (2023) is an immediate favorite laced with nostalgia and ‘80s shimmer. Bakar I discovered on my FYP back in 2021, and now his hits from Halo (2023) have started their own TikTok trends. Haley Blais, Wisecrack (2023) feels like a wry and existential entry in your diary. Vagabon, Sorry I Haven’t Called (2023) transcends genres, as usual, with funky afrobeats mixing with warm grit.
If you prefer the term “melancholy millennial” to “sad girl” music…
Firstly, watch the above linked video because it’s so smart and true. In a stark departure from disco-dancy Laurel Hell (2022), Mitski’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (2023) carries the vast emptiness of the night sky. I’m actually not ready to unpack this one yet, but I will be getting back into journaling. God knows I love a good song about a bug!
If you want to feel like you’re in Forever 21…
Icona Pop, Club Romantech (2023). I mean it’s fun, it just has that repetitive pop girlie vibe.
If you’re feeling cute and romantic…
Jalen Ngonda, Come Around and Love Me (2023). Whyyy did he do this cute shit to me? The boy is just too in love! Happy for us.
If you’re feeling cinematically emotional, maybe jazzy, yearning, and also romantic…
Laufey, Bewitched (2023). Maaaaan she really makes good use of that orchestra. Old Hollywood is alive in both her music and in Bruno Major, Columbo (2023). The title is inspired by a car that he crashed, so tread (drive) carefully.
If you’re nostalgic for what college sounded like…
Romy, formerly of The xx, sent me back to 2016 with her vocals Mid Air. Only this time the vibes are much more (openly) queer than they were in college but still very Dancing On My Own.
If you wanna hear a childhood fave’s new edgy sound…
Corinne Bailey Rae, Black Rainbows (2023) feels much punchier than her previous work. Growing up, I loved her for her Choux pastry heart. Now, I’m grateful for her experimentation, uncensored anger, and pride. What an arc.
If you’re into nerd punk…
Jeff Rosenstock, Hellmode (2023). Sorry to this man, that just feels like a fitting descriptor. This album feels like a long-running bit and anxious hug. Both clever and manic, he makes me feel like it’ll be okay to still be spiraling at age 40..?
If you watched that life-changing “Cool About It” cover…
Olivia Dean, Messy (2023). Who is she?? Why do British singers sound so good all the time???? What are they being fed
If all this autumn rain has been making you cozy…
Cleo Sol, Heaven (2023). This has such a soft-sheets vibe that I was like, “Hm, sounds like that motherhood album from a few years ago.” The album I was thinking of was, in fact, also hers—Mother (2021). Stay in bed for this double feature.
If you say “aur naur” whenever you see the words “oh no”
The Beaches released summer hit “Blame Brett” and everyone hated Brett so much that they made a whole album about it: Blame My Ex (2023). Saucy! For a more folky vibe, Quality Used Cars’s Quality of Life (2023) also chews on their R’s in such a satisfying stream-of-consciousness.
If you’re glad Warsaw reopened in Greenpoint…
CHAI, CHAI (2023), is coming to newly reopened Warsaw this month. May seem surprising, but based on their new self-titled album, they can clearly exceed expectations. While their previous album was so cute that I once compared it to sticking your tongue in a Fun Dip packet (no stick), this one has a distinctly more grownup, R&B air to it.
And just one more tender option (or two, yolo)…
Last week I walked around Manhattan in the rain trying to stifle tears while listening to Briston Maroney, Ultrapure (2023). Boy do I love his corny ass songs and sometimes exceptionally high voice. Becca Mancari’s Left Hand (2023) replaces childhood rejection with chosen-family level love. Sheesh.
September? Did me in!