With sharp, striking honesty, Annie DiRusso crafts the kind of letter we all write to our exes but never have the guts to send in her latest single “Nine Months.” The instrumentation is textured, vigorous and emotionally charged, mirroring the build-up of anger represented in the lyrics. Through words, the song chronicles everything from the couple’s first meeting (“The first thing you said the night we met is I was beautiful”) to the fiery, impassioned fallout that results from a bad breakup (“I took my time now I know what it was / So don’t you ever say we were in love / You ruined my life for nine fucking months”). Arguably, the most important—and impactful—lyric of the song arrives in the chorus, as DiRusso devastatingly sings, “And every time I think of you / I hate I didn’t run away / Cause I never thought / I’d be the girl who stayed.” As everyone who has been in a toxic relationship knows, no one ever thinks they’d stay in a miserable relationship until they find themselves in that very situation. By offering up this relatable story, though, DiRusso will certainly make a lot of people feel that they aren’t alone. Listen to “Nine Months” wherever you stream. Photo by Lily Lee. 

Julia Jacklin’s new offering “to Perth, before the border closes” features scathingly honest lyrics performed with a lush, dreamy vocal style and sepia-toned guitar sounds. The song is a meditation on the prevalence of change in our lives — as she states simply, “Don’t you know that everything changes?” She also ruminates on the fact that the very nature of change means that sometimes we can’t fully trust or rely on others, even those who are closest to us. This is made evident as she questions, “Will you get on that flight? / I got a feeling I won’t do it alone / I got a feeling / But everything changes.” Jacklin is arguably at her best when the musical arrangement is kept classic and simple, allowing listeners to hone in on her expertly crafted lyrics and beautiful voice, which is reminiscent of legendary vocalist Patsy Cline — and "to Perth, before the border closes” is no exception. Listen on Bandcamp or wherever you stream. Photo by Nick Mckk.

"Ticker Tape Parade" by Absent City is one of those soft pop-rock numbers that would sound right at home soundtracking a partly cloudy beach day or the lull that strikes in the middle of road trips. The song has that oddly small Midwestern town vibe, like it found fun in itself in a place where there isn't much else to do but look inside yourself and pull out the pretty parts that make your day memorable. The vocals are shrouded in some kind of demurity reserved for indie singers and songwriters.

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I sat in a prairie throwing tennis balls into the spacious abyss for my beloved German Shepherd pup to fetch and bring back to me. I was home for the semester thanks to COVID, and this was my life now. Remote learning. The great outdoors was now my campus. The further I yanked my arm back to hurl the tennis balls yards away, the harder my dog ran to please me and bring me back the one thing I could never get tired of momentarily losing. I watched him gallop on four legs to the ball, but I never lost sight of his furry mane and sunny disposition. He stayed in shape this way, and I could always cuddle him. I was just a boy and he was just my dog and we were just stretching out the last few rays of sunlight on a beautiful fall day before it was time to go home and listen to "Ticker Tape Parade" by Absent City and do it all again tomorrow.

Girlhood takes on a new, fresh sound with “It Might Take a Woman.” The duo, composed of Tessa Cavanna and Christian Pinchbeck, released this single to predate their self-titled debut LP which will be released on October 23. The track mixes elements of synth pop and R&B to create a fast-paced groove, a major difference from their usual dreamy sound. The production of the track additionally starts slow, but then becomes an almost chaotic party of harmonies and reverb and shifts back. Tessa Cavanna's vocals are light and airy, but their power lies behind the message of the track: “It might take a woman like me / To get me to the man in you.” Cavanna is constantly straightforward about femininity in the duo’s music, and "It Might Take A Woman" presents a new chapter to this narrative. This track is an anthem for the ordinary woman to acknowledge that confidence can be found in vulnerability. Simply put, if you're ever in need of a confidence boost, then this single’s for you. Photo by Dean Davies.

Los Angeles-based indie singer-songwriter Elizabeth Woolf holds a sunny disposition that shines through in her latest single. “Til It’s Dark Outside” is the title track from her debut album (released in its entirety on October 16) and is exemplary of the image and story-based writing that Woolf is known for. This track chronicles the experience of navigating suburbia all the while with a friend by your side. Reflecting on the small moments of life that add up to forever friendships feels like an appreciation of those in our lives that help us get through the day-to-day and in turn bring us closer to ourselves. The light and springy production aptly represents youthfulness, which helps transport the listener right back to the streets of their childhood home. Holding a cadence reminiscent of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, Woolf’s vocals and songwriting are wise beyond her years and nostalgic for the present — a rare and precious sound.

“Arroyo Tunnels” is the captivating opening to Cartalk’s highly anticipated debut full-length album, Pass Like Pollen. Cartalk is the solo project and vision of Los Angeles-based artist Chuck Moore, whose vocals are distinct in the way of Brandi Carlile or early Tegan and Sara (it’s not surprising the twins have taken a liking to the album). On “Arroyo Tunnels,” Moore sings in vignettes over gentle guitar — of growing their hair out, taking the long way home, routine heartbreak and screaming through tunnels — before the drums come in, along with an addictive guitar riff that continues through the remainder of the song. The second half is entirely instrumental, swelling gradually into something like a symphony before fading out as quickly and as gracefully as it began. The shortest song on the album at just under two and a half minutes, “Arroyo Tunnels” is a modest taste of what’s to come, but all nine tracks pack a punch of their own. While there is plenty of shredding not to be missed later on the album, “Arroyo Tunnels” is a gentle entrée — a “sobering serenity,” if you will. Photo by Katie Neuhof.