The music industry calls it Q4. The festivals are done; Brat Summer is dead; and a glorious calm has fallen as music’s oddballs come out to play. The result is a seasonal roundup of few marquee releases, but plenty of obsession-worthy curios: comebacks from the Cure, Bon Iver, Laura Marling, Stephen Malkmus, Japandroids, Kim Deal, and Iceage’s Elias Rønnenfelt; rapid-fire reloads from the Smile, Charli XCX, and Mount Eerie. The welcome returns of the likes of Yasmin Williams, Chat Pile, Elucid, and Father John Misty, meanwhile, feel right on time. Read on, below, to catch up on all that and more.
A$AP Rocky: Don’t Be Dumb
A$AP Rocky had planned to release Don’t Be Dumb on August 30, but he’s pushed his Testing follow-up into the autumn. While we continue to wait for the Harlem rapper’s first project since 2018, he’s released the songs “Highjack” (featuring Jessica Pratt!) and “Ruby Rosary.”
–Matthew Strauss
Balance and Composure: With You in Spirit
Balance and Composure’s last album, Light We Made, arrived nearly a decade ago. Now, after reconnecting during the pandemic following a breakup and four-year hiatus, the Pennsylvania rock quintet has prepared a follow-up. With You in Spirit is produced and co-written by longtime collaborator Will Yip, and the band has shared five singles: the slow-simmering “Cross to Bear,” “Sorrow Machine,” “Believe the Hype,” “Any Means,” and “With You in Spirit.” The group has also announced a tour to coincide with the record.
–Eric Torres