Staff Picks for September 2022
September 30, 2022
Loraine James' Hyperdub debut introduced the inventive artist's unclassifiable sound to a wider audience, spanning abrasive jungle and grime as well as ethereal R&B and IDM. The release is an homage to her London upbringing, as well as an exploration of her own identity, specifically as a queer Black woman residing in the city.
September 29, 2022
Earth, Wind & Fire has delivered more than its share of excellent albums, but if a person could own only one EWF release, the logical choice would be That's the Way of the World, which was the band's best album as well as its best-selling. Open Our Eyes had been a major hit and sold over half a million units, but it was World that established EWF as major-league, multi-platinum superstars.
September 28, 2022
The Brits were mainly considered a singles band until they delivered this truly transcendent collection of mostly superb covers interspersed with solid originals principally by Eric Burdon and Dave Rowberry. Burdon was never in better voice, and the group had developed a bold, tight sound that seemed to lift his soul shouting to ever higher levels of passion and conviction.
September 27, 2022
With its twangy banjo lead and haunting guitar accompaniment Volume 1 manages to convey the feeling of a ghost story. Ultimately, it is a collection of love songs, but not in any sort of romantic way. This is an album that theatrically draws attention to the parts of the human psyche that take on a lethal edge when we let ourselves be consumed by our notions of love.
September 26, 2022
The debut album from New Orleans duo Belong was a murky and beautiful blur of dense ambient textures, deeply buried electronic glitches, and walls of shoegaze-informed guitar drones. Conveying feelings of decay, reflection, and solitude, the album sounds like all the miniature interludes from Loveless stretched into song-length experiments and contorted until they tell new stories.
September 25, 2022
Ozzy's tenth studio album was originally called Soul Sucka before fans shut the working title down. The resulting Scream may not win any awards for brain cell power as far as titles go, but the 11 tracks contained within find the Prince of Darkness in fine form
September 24, 2022
Drugdealer's second album builds upon their Laurel Canyon aesthetic with elaborate baroque arrangements and sunny harmonies. Elements of post-Beatles Beatles albums float through the melodies, and the big production sounds like they have some Harry Nilsson/Jon Brion records in their record collection.
September 23, 2022
Unfuckwithable is nihilistic punk rock at its finest. Here, the guitars squall all over the place, the bass is extremely loud, and the vocals are buried; this appealingly lo-fi sound gives their music a who-cares abandon that's reinforced by their lyrics. There aren't any answers, just bad attitudes, as the group spits profanity-fueled rants about death, the internet, and "the reverse psychology of picking up chicks in the hardcore scene."
September 22, 2022
One-of-a-kind Jamaican DJ Dr. Alimantado found unexpected fame with U.K. punks after Johnny Rotten bestowed his blessings. The hoopla was certainly warranted based on the high quality of his mid-'70s sides, several of which are included on Best Dressed Chicken in Town. Handling production chores himself, Alimantado enlisted top reggae engineers and producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist to add their own alchemy to the mix.
![Wicked: A New Musical [Original Broadway Cast Recording]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0001727595/front/400/unhVWk3p5EZjhSesur_siByhM-OFI8zG4l-qVpXXB1I=.jpg)
September 21, 2022
The Wizard of Oz-inspired musical, which traverses the Land of Oz through the eyes of witches Elphaba and Glinda, presents a cosmic soundtrack with thrilling orchestrations and soaring melodies. The showtunes from the fifth longest-running Broadway production are exciting and riveting, not only keeping listeners engrossed until the end but also ensuring that they'll continue putting the songs on repeat.
September 20, 2022
Mick Jones knocked it out of the park on his first post-Clash project. While some of its sonic characteristics might now sound dated, in 1985 B.A.D.'s futuristic audio-terrorism anticipated the cut-and-paste sampling approach of years to come and proved Jones could also still write great melodies.
September 19, 2022
Dismiss Foster Sylvers as little more than a poor man's Michael Jackson if you must, but damn, the smash "Misdemeanor" lays to waste everything MJ recorded solo until "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough." A sinuous, loping evocation of street-smart puppy love, it's one of the most underrated funk jams ever. While Sylvers was just 11 years old when he cut this preternaturally accomplished solo effort, he is such an ebullient and charming singer that the positives far outweigh the negatives.
September 18, 2022
The fourth long-player from the gutsy roots rockers-turned arena-ready alt-pop spellcasters, Into the Wide offers up a more cohesive set of Americana-kissed electro-pop anthems than its eponymous 2012 predecessor did, invoking names like Coldplay, Elbow, the Killers, and even Electric Light Orchestra in the process.
September 17, 2022
The pitch-perfect artist delivers a smooth sophomore album with 2018's Voicenotes, which features flowing melodies, swinging rhythms, and Puth's gentle, spacious vocals. The 13-track collection is like a refreshing drink on a hot summer day, easing listeners into a comfortable and pleasant state of mind.
September 16, 2022
Part outtakes collection, part singles compilation, part re-recorded Danzig solo album, Legacy of Brutality was released two years after the Misfits initially broke up in 1983. While pieced together from unreleased tracks from the Static Age sessions and heavy on Danzig overdubs, ignoring the album's convoluted backstory leaves you with a very specific, very sinister presentation of the horror punk pioneers' sound. It's among their more ominous, rockabilly-leaning albums, midway between the riled up hardcore of Walk Among Us and the demonic menace Danzig would explore not long after with his own band.
September 15, 2022
A fantastic sampling of avant disco, funk, and experimental rock jams from New York composer Peter Gordon's influential late-'70s combo the Love of Life Orchestra.
September 14, 2022
A perfect album from start to finish, this absolutely rabid assault of polished punk hasn't aged a day since 2003. A little bit Hole, a little bit Nirvana, and a whole lot of spiked bracelets and platform Doc Martens, this third LP from Brody Dalle and co. is a singalong thrill that'll have your throat as shredded and bloody as Dalle's at the end of this whiplash 45 minutes. Not a dud to be found.
September 13, 2022
Lost in the 2010s, this divisive catalog outlier deserves a second spin. In hindsight, it's aged better than Comedown Machine and is, arguably, better than The New Abnormal simply for the number of catchy, could-have-been hits. The retro new wave/power pop energy is a nostalgic hit and tracks like "Machu Picchu," "Under Cover…," and "Taken for a Fool" hit the sweet spot, just as "Life Is Simple…" closes the LP with unexpected beauty.
September 12, 2022
Moving away from the unrelenting guitar typical of metal, and with a new fixation on synthesized melodies with breakdowns that feel like bass drops, Scoring The End Of The World is a theatrical album with an edge of political commentary similar to the message shared in Motionless’ earlier material.
September 11, 2022
It's not easy to follow up on a 9x platinum album that boasted five chart-topping singles (aka 2010's Teenage Dream), but Katy Perry proved that she was more than ready for the task with 2013's Prism. Buoyed by danceable beats, sublime hooks, and vibrant melodies, the megastar's fourth album is a paragon of pop, a dynamic masterpiece with songs ranging from the earnest ballad "Unconditionally" to the happy-go-lucky tune "This Is How We Do."
September 10, 2022
Seemingly overlooked by rootsy indie rock fans upon its release, Shore has turned into a real grower over the past two years. Shining harmonies and ringing guitars, plus some of Robin Pecknold's most mature songwriting to date. "Sunblind" stands out as an ode to passing summer, complete with references to playing Martins or Gibsons and the desire to swim for a week in warm American Water with dear friends.
September 9, 2022
The singer’s second album with producer Sergio George resulted in his finest salsa record of the 1990s. Though already an established presence in the field due to 1993’s Otra Nota, this record that announced his reign as the crown prince of salsa. Previous projects had shown promise and abundant talent, but never before the level of polish, taste, and confidence present here. Killer!
September 8, 2022
Although steeped in acoustic jazz tradition, Kuroda (who studied at both Berklee and the New School) has gravitated toward more jam-oriented sounds in recent years. Blessed with a warm, robust trumpet sound and a knack for delivering lithe, soulful solos that bring to mind both Roy Hargrove and Hugh Masekela, Kuroda is truly a 21st century performer.
September 7, 2022
Greg Cartwright declared that his great band Reigning Sound was calling it quits in June 2022, and if you want a reminder of what has been lost, 2002's Time Bomb High School captured them at their very best. A high-powered mix of revved-up garage rock and Pretty Things-style R&B, this is rock & roll that's tough and genuinely soulful, music that speaks from the heart without pulling any punches.
September 6, 2022
For her installment of Fabric's essential mix CD series, Berghain resident Steffi reached out to her friends and commissioned a set of exclusive tracks. While her DJ sets can often be populated by energetic, floor-filling house tracks, this CD is a much more reflective, cerebral mix geared towards home listening. Despite coming from over a dozen different artists (with Steffi herself co-producing two selections), the tracks achieve a remarkable consistency, as if they were born from the same mind.
![Encanto [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0005584327/front/400/shC_vj-HLf7QlfPvE71xfw4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=.jpg)
September 5, 2022
Disney plus Lin-Manuel Miranda is (and will always be) a recipe for greatness. The film and theater powerhouse gifts the animated feature a wondrous collection of songs, integrating Latin music, hip-hop, and Broadway-style elements into his work. With messages of love, perseverance, and sometimes just pure fun, Encanto's soundtrack is for everyone, celebrating the universality of music.
September 4, 2022
Crime were the first West Coast punk band to put out a record in 1976, though they preferred to be known as "San Francisco's First and Only Rock and Roll Band." Recently reissued on vinyl, this collection of two warts-and-all demo sessions, recorded in 1978 and '79, captures their weird, dirty energy, fractured blues-based song structures, and jonesed-out swagger as well as their original singles, and its edgy charisma still communicates.
September 3, 2022
From Hot Fuss synths to Sam's Town seriousness, fans got whiplash when the Killers returned to the flamboyant showman sparkle on this third, synth-heavy outing. While the first two are their objective classics, this is one of those LPs that has aged quite well (especially considering the weary lows of the 2010s). Impeccable from start to finish, but check out "Losing Touch," "Joy Ride," and "The World We Live In."
September 2, 2022
After toiling as a side player for several years, pianist Vince Guaraldi has a massive breakthrough in 1962 with his breezy jazz interpretations of songs from the 1959 film Black Orpheus. Guaraldi kept hits of the Samba and Bossa Nova elements that made up the original soundtrack of the French/Portuguese film, but reworked the melodies with an airy, lighthearted swing, capturing the easygoing energy of the Bay Area jazz scene of the time and applying it to familiar tunes.
September 1, 2022
A year after the collapse of his adventurous experimental rock band the United States of America, Joe Byrd was back with this project that pushed his mix of rock, pop, and the avant garde even further. The army of studio musicians lacks the tight focus of the USA, yet the imaginatively fractured song structures, the use of primitive electronics, and the energetic chaos of the arrangements marks this as the work of a unique talent.