The Best of September '26

Sep 30

To put it bluntly, September saw an astonishing amount of killer indie, alternative, and rock releases. So not to get bogged down by a heavy-handed introduction and let the music do the talking, here are the must-listen-to albums and singles that graced our staff’s ears this month.

RAPID REVIEWS

Lizzy McAlpine’s Angel: Heartbreak and Healing - Jackie Fortis

Watch the music video for “Over country” on YouTube.

“When a soaring voice meets technical talent. When raw lyricism meets singular production choices. When fighting hard for your artistic vision turns into newfound confidence in oneself, you get Lizzy McAlpine’s newest album, Angel. The making of her fourth studio album was another journey in finding herself not only as an artist, but as a person.”

For Fans Of: hyper-specific narratives, soft vocals, crochet stuffed animals

Pylon is Raw, Raging, and Beabadoobee’s Best Yet - Alivia Stonier

“Pylon is translating emotional feelings into physical ones. Anger becomes heat. Exhaustion becomes something that wears the body thin. Connection becomes something visible outside of a tour bus window. And Beabadoobee changes the sound without much warning. Rather than relying on gentle lead-ins to prepare the listener for every transition, the record can snap from one emotional state into another. That lack of warning beautifully captures the feeling of being on the road, never quite able to ground yourself in one place, and how instability can begin to manifest internally. The distortion and heavier instrumentation don't simply make the album sound more aggressive. They give the emotional exhaustion somewhere to live.”

For Fans Of: bubblegrunge, roadtripping, Hayley Williams cameos

Winyah is Right Here and Right Now - McKenzie Blasi

“On their sophomore follow-up, Right Here, Right Now, Winyah don't lose an ounce of that signature live-wire friction. Instead, they sharpen it. Written after over a year of relentless touring, festival slots, and the disorienting weight of growing up on the highway, Right Here, Right Now is a remarkably assured, muscular step forward. It is a record anchored in the grounded urgency of presence — the conscious effort to stop worrying about the road ahead or the past behind, and simply occupy the space you’re in.”

For Fans Of: feel-good indie rock, danceable guitar riffs, niche band T-shirts

Blondshell’s Violins Finds Freedom on the Other Side of Loss - Adilene Gomez Santiago

Watch the music video for “Stone Fruit” on YouTube.

“There’s a nostalgic feeling that runs throughout the album, rooted in its ‘90s pop-punk sound; loud yet restrained drums are paired with twangy guitar tones and occasional fingerpicked passages. Even when the tracks are heavy, there’s a brightness embedded in the instruments, giving the songs enough lift to keep the album from becoming weighed down by sadness. That tension between musical lightness and emotional vulnerability is especially effective on ‘New Shape,’ the album’s fifth track. Built around acoustic guitar and exposed vocals, the song strips away much of the propulsion found elsewhere on the record. Teitelbaum’s voice occasionally catches at the ends of her phrases, adding an unpolished quality that makes the song feel less performed than confessed.”

For Fans Of: ‘90s pop-punk, Momma, dive bars

Unearthing The Gem Became Julia Jacklin’s Hardest Feat - Tabita Bernardus

“Exploring the folds of Jacklin’s brain might uncover both the good and the ugly, or perhaps the unprocessed grief and trauma that contradicts it. But one thing is clear about the singer’s discography: she knows how to pair vulnerability and tension with dance-worthy, folk-rock compositions. Hazy figments of Jacklin’s dream world haunt the narrative in ‘Real Life,’ where the intangible becomes tangible, and the line separating imagination and reality becomes difficult to decipher.”

For Fans Of: vibrato-filled vocals, laid-back indie rock, avoidant attachment

Keo Revives Grunge Rock with Debut Album, Put A Smile On For Me - Reegan-Tate Johnson

“I often write the things that I don't feel comfortable saying to my friends or my partner or my family, and I kind of trick myself into thinking that no one will ever hear it,” Keo’s lead singer Finn Keogh told Off the Record on the heels of their debut album, Put A Smile On For Me. And that's exactly what’s encapsulated between the record’s all-too-short 11 tracks: dropped-wall honesty. Self-produced by Keogh, it’s a record that turns disparages on its side, becoming an expansion of the mind and warping common claustrophobias into a sound that can’t sit still nor be contained. “Be Happy” and the re-released “Thorn” show the gritty authority of Keo at their most commanding, while the album’s closer, “Spent On You,” slows their velocity without sacrificing any of the necessary emotional weight of the record. The London-based group is no stranger to facing the music, and Put A Smile On For Me finds them doing so without cowering, turning their most uncomfortable thoughts into some of their most compelling moments.

For Fans Of: gritty vulnerability, classic grunge, Nirvana

BROOKE’S BONUSES

Gather Around the Fire with Babehoven this Fall

Watch the music video for “Wave Has A Place” on YouTube.

Regardless of individual genre preferences and listening habits, curating a fall playlist is a universal human act these days. Imagery of crisp air, warm-toned leaves, and spiced scents can get tired, sure, but there’s a reason autumn holds an undeniable distinction compared to other seasons, and that certainly translates sonically. With elongated pedal steel, layered acoustic guitars, and warbly vocals, Babehoven’s I see them, I see me meets the fall soundtrack criteria. The indie-folk duo’s fourth record is fundamentally cozy (see: “Jess Has a Place” and “Pelorus”), but broody and prickly where it needs to be (see: “When You Look at Me” and “Wave Has a Place”).

For Fans Of: Big Thief, warm apple cider, fiddle

Wednesday Adds Two New Tracks to the Bleeds Universe in Deluxe Version

With their twang-twinged punk-rock project Bleeds, Wednesday dominated the alternative conversation last fall, earning their place on almost every major music outlet’s Best of 2025 list (OTR’s included). 364 days after the release of their magnum opus, the North Carolina quintet dropped Bleeds (Deluxe), featuring two new tracks and six remixes. The first half of “June 2 - Early Version” has an easy-listening swagger, but its devolution into a soundscape of distorted guitars and frontwoman Karly Hartzman’s synonymous wail-like belting are what take the track to the next level. “Poison the Sound - Demo,” on the other hand, is an acoustic voice memo with the Southern imagery to match the rest of the record, but with a sort of simplistic narrative that lends itself to tenderness in a more tangible way than the album’s original tracks.

For Fans Of: OG Bleeds, remixes, Brokeback Mountain

EXTRAS

September Staff Picks: