Music I Liked: September 2023 (Ali Sethi, Laufey, Olivia Rodrigo, RIIZE, TXT, V & More)

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Ali Sethi & Nicholas Jaar - Muddat (Song of the Month)

Ali Sethi, post-Pasoori, has been in a creative renaissance. Now, the Pakistani ghazal vocalist is working with indie electronic producer Nicholas Jaar. Fans of both artists have been split, but this honestly hits the spot for me so well. It is weird, expressive, and takes its time to slowly, slowly grow. Both stars get to show off their skills. If their upcoming album is as good as this, it will probably end up being one of my favorite releases of the year.

Kapil Kapilan - Neela Nilave (Prod. Sam C.S.)

Indian music, as a whole, this year, has been going for bigger and better party drops. Every since the Pathaan soundtrack, it was inevitable a drop would be tied to classic Carnatic melodies, and the Malayalam track Neela Nilave does exactly that. The rest of the song is fine, but the drop is worth the time for hearing the song.

Laufey - From The Start

I want to give Laufey's LP Bewitched a little time before reviewing it, but much like the rest of the internet, I have relished in her viral single From The Start. From its earnest romantic lyrics to its catchy blend of bossa nova and jazz. I especially love the bits and pieces of cello and piano near the very end of the song. Yes, it is a little Mii Theme Music at times, but Laufey infuses it with loads of charisma.

Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine

It is a Mitski ballad. I could leave it at that, but it is also quite good. As always, Mitski embodies every moment of the song with loads of regret and heart. As always, the lyrics are poetic, describing how Mitski has nothing but love left, and how giving it is the one thing she holds onto. I am sure it will improve once I hear the album (hopefully soon).

Ohm Bhandari - Villain

Music producer (and blog reader) Ohm Bhandari has garnered a small but strong discography of futuristic EDM with influences from classic pop. Villain draws from Michael Jackson, while at the same time creating an electronic groove that constantly shakes things up. Perhaps his best since last year's Mayhem.

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts (Song of the Month - Lacy)

I remember texting a friend back in 2022, wondering why Olivia Rodrigo took such a major gap after her fantastic freshman release. Some ideas thrown around were a new Highschool Musical spin-off or perhaps to reduce hype. It turns out she just was working on living life to create a sequel better than the original. Guts is a personal memoir of being a teenage girl living in American society today. Olivia embodies each song with her earnest personal writing that made her so successful so instantaneously.

The album is somewhat lopsided, two humorous takes over pretty bad situations lead to the album's peak, the run from tracks 3-5. The title track Vampire remains one of the best songs this year, with its merger of Driver's License's emotional vulnerability and the sheer rage of Good 4 U. Following it up would be quite difficult, but Lacy is more than ready for the task. The beautiful, string-laced, semi-baroque production is paired by the beautiful balladry of Rodrigo's voice. The tale of admiration and jealousy's merger. I expect it to only get better with age.

The successor to Lacy, Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl, is another of the album's highlights. The instrumental punk rock is hardly what I'd define as "ballad"-esque, but the awkward sentiments and anthemic melody make it strong. After the Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl, the album does ease on the constant string of A-Tier highlights, but never quite gets bad. Logical in particular is fantastic. The only weak track in the entire album, is oddly enough, the single Get Him Back, which feels more like a throwback to Sour, and lacks the mature songwriting through Guts, even if it is solid in a vaccum.

RIIZE - Get A Guitar

It feels weird writing about a new SM boy group debuting, the last one was NCT in 2016, and the myriad of sub-units that followed in its wake. After a few NCT-esque pre-releases, Get A Guitar is surprising in how it doesn't attempt to surprise. Its funky guitar sound is about as derivative as possible, and the Queen sample is more of the same. Nonetheless, everything is polished and nimble. While things certainly will change after the Kakao buyout earlier this year, SM's A&R team generally has a good idea of a group's sound and image, and Get A Guitar's nimble hooks and classy melody sounds like the opening of a fantastic discography.

Ryujugo - 2 Much

Produced by Avu-Chan of Queen Bee, Japanese boy band Ryujugo's debut has been one of the most satisfying of the year. At five songs, their debut EP, 2 Much, is quite short, especially given that three of the songs are singles released in the weeks/months prior. Nonetheless, this is a case of quality over quantity. 2 Much is one of the best singles this month, with perhaps their best merger of their melodic and punkier elements. Some other highlights include their debut single Mr. Fortune, and the bizarre synthwave-meets '90s hip-hop commercial Japanese Psycho, with the latter being easily my favorite from the band so far. Either way, the EP is solid all the way through, and Ryujugo are a group to keep your eyes on.

Sufjan Stevens - Will Anybody Ever Love Me?

Last month's So You Are Tired has slowly become one of my favorites from Sufjan Stevens, acting as one of my favorite singer-songwriter songs this year. Will Anybody Ever Love Me? isn't nearly as good, but that means it still is amazing. The composition slowly builds without ever being more than an acoustic ballad, while Sufjan's lyricism is fantastic as always.

TXT, Anitta - Back For More

Similar to RIIZE's debut, Back For More simultaneously feels better and worse than it should. Also like Get A Guitar, it opts for a funky nimble sound. The main difference is Back For More feels notably more sexual. I have had mixed opinions on TXT's more sexual image as of late. They are barely adults, but their discography had been maturing for quite a while. More than anything, I feel like the emotional core of the best TXT songs has been lost recently. Nonetheless, Back For More is quite fun. The Michael Jackson groove works quite well, even if I wished the song had a more unique personality. Despite that, the dance breakdown and an intriguing (if frustratingly short) cameo by Anitta add some nice spark to Back For More, teasing what TXT may do in their upcoming album.

V - Layover

I appreciate V/Taehyung's artistic integrity in releasing an album of music that appeals to his taste, but Layover is a confusing release. Despite being labeled as a studio album, it is only five, three-ish minute-long songs. The album is consistent if lacking in highlights. It could, however, work perfectly as a soothing soundtrack for rainy days. A special mention to Rainy Days, and Slow Dancing's final minutes, for adding some fantastic jazz elements here and there. Given the recent resurgence of jazz,, I think V may be credited as a trendsetter.

Image Source: NME