Albums to Look Forward to in November 2024

For many, the most anticipated holiday of the year falls on the last day of October. Autumn tends to be defined by Halloween, and for most of us, its passing signifies the end of the season’s magic. I’d like to propose, however, that the spirit of Halloween is alive throughout the entirety of Scorpio season. For the majority of October, the sun was in Libra, an air sign that revolves around relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. Toward the end of the month, we experienced a transition that plunged us into the depths of water sign Scorpio’s intense emotional energy. Themes of introspection, intimacy, secrecy, taboo, and vulnerability are all present when the sun is in Scorpio.

This upcoming month will bring us several projects wherein artists dug deep to reveal their most private inner contemplations in the form of music. In the spirit of this astrological season, we can prolong the magic of fall by leaning into Scorpio’s tender darkness. In order of release, here are some albums to look forward to in November.

Haley Heynderickx - Seed of a Seed - Nov. 1

Watch the music video for “Foxglove” on YouTube.

Portland, Oregon’s beloved singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx is gearing up to share how she protects and maintains the parts of herself initially unearthed during the creation of her last album, I Need to Start a Garden. Six years later, in Seed of a Seed, the indie-folk artist meditates on the struggle to stay true to herself amidst a flurry of external influences like technology, media, and general insecurity. Heynderickx’s sound, lyricism, and imagery have always been closely intertwined with nature, as she references it both literally and metaphorically to depict her journey to self-actualization. Her latest single, “Gemini,” narrates the story of how her past self confronts her present self by forcing her to pull over over while driving “just to stare at purple clover off the highway / And see the clover as a gift / A gift I almost missed / You know I finally begin to feel better.” In this case, the purple clover is representative of a commitment she makes to herself to slow down despite the ways her busy life pulls her forward, remembering to stay in touch with nature, and therefore with herself. The tension between the two versions of herself on this track is palpable, and serves as a vulnerable showcase of an internal conflict familiar to many. “Gemini” is the perfect opening track to this record, introducing listeners to where Heynderickx’s mind has been for the past six years. Singles “Seed of a Seed” and “Foxglove” are also out now ahead of the album’s Nov. 1 release.

Roy Blair - Chasing Moving Trains - Nov. 1

Watch the music video for “Panavision” on Youtube.

Seven years following the release of his first album, Cat Heaven, alt-pop artist Roy Blair is returning with Chasing Moving Trains. This record is highly anticipated for a niche group of fans who attribute a certain level of nostalgia with the artist’s earlier work. Even to fans like myself who follow him on social media, Blair maintains quite an elusive presence. Though chatter about this album seems to be sparse among music publications, a recent Instagram story post from online figure and YouTuber Enya Umanzor clued me in to the release. She told her followers about his latest single, “Strawberry,” sharing that it has “been a repeat song for the squad for so long” and expressing her excitement for the song’s long awaited release. Blair’s prior relationship with Umanzor was likely how many now fans became acquainted with his music. While their relationship now is platonic, many fans of Umanzor’s popular podcast, Emergency Intercom, and of Blair’s music were excited about the recent mention. He also released the single, “Panavision,” accompanied by a music video in preparation for the album. In this track, Blair reveals some gritty truths about his experience as an artist in the music industry. Over a breakbeat drum pattern, he sings “I signed my first album away forever / And I ain't even have no idea, yeah / So, who got my back, at all? / If there ain't no money involved, yeah.” His name is scattered across the video credits, corroborating his status as a multidisciplinary artist and confirming his ownership of this record as a greater art project. If the raw honesty in this track is a taste of what the album holds, I am eager to hear the rest of what he has to say.

Poppy - Negative Spaces - Nov. 15

Internet personality turned pop and metal artist, Poppy, has quite the lore-filled career trajectory to look back on. About a decade ago, she was mainly known as a Youtuber with an eerily softspoken and robotic voice. Her videos were bizarre and uncanny, drawing in viral amounts of viewers and attention. She began putting music out in 2016, mainly of the upbeat pop variety, but has since shifted toward a darker, more hardcore rock sound. In 2020, she released the album I Disagree, which is laden with heavy metal influences, and was generally received very well. Since then, she’s continued to release under the metal label, Sumerian. Negative Spaces, set to release on Nov. 15, will be her fifth full length album under the label. While this may seem to imply that she’s sticking to metal, the recently released single “crystallized” seems to break this mold. The track is reminiscent of 80s synth-pop: bright, upbeat, and danceable. It’s unclear whether this will be a one-off on an otherwise metal album or if we’re in for a melting pot of genres—mystery has always been one of Poppy’s greatest strengths. Singles “the cost of giving up,” “they’re all around us,” and “new way out” have all been released ahead of the album’s debut.

Watch a live performance of “to be seen” on YouTube.

Searows - flush - Nov. 22

Searows is the project of Alec Duckart, a Portland based singer-songwriter who crafts immensely personal indie-folk music. At only 23, he was quick to make a name for himself in just two short years of releasing music. His first album, Guard Dog, was created and produced entirely on his own using GarageBand on his laptop. Since then, he’s toured with Gracie Abrams, and shared the stage with Ethel Cain. Duckart’s success is a testament to how his art has reached listeners in deeply intimate, personal ways. Ahead of the release of his second album flush, he’s put out singles “toothache,” “martingale,” and most recently, “to be seen.” The hauntingly beautiful melodies and Duckart’s undeniable lovely voice in “Toothache” make this a standout first single for this record. Each repetition of the chorus is outfitted with finger-plucked embellishments that seem to underline his lyrics, “And I don’t think it’s worth a damn / what you think about me now / I could ask you who you think I am / But I don’t really wanna find out.”

Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor - The Remixes - Nov. 22

In September, British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya’s made waves with the release of her album, My Method Actor. Pitchfork gave it an 8.5, classifying it as “best new music.” Known for her experimental, genre-bending sound, Yanya plays with elements of R&B, jazz, indie rock, and psychedelia on this record. On Nov. 22 she’s due to release a remix version of the acclaimed album, featuring five tracks from the original remixed with a wide range of artists. Earlier this month, the first remix, “Just a Western - Boy Harsher Remix,” was released. The American electro-pop duo comprising Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller transformed this track from a country-tinged lullaby to an 80’s synthpop ballad. Unreleased remix tracks include “Mutations (Empress Of Remix),” “Call It Love (Jam City Remix),” and two iterations of her song, “Like I Say (I runaway)”— one by MorMor X Lesser and the other by Anish Kumar.