“Holiday,” that brief season wedged between “fall” and “winter” in our social calendar, is nigh, and the list of recent records from Nashville musicians you’ll want to hear — and perhaps give as a gift — keeps growing. The Scene’s music writers have seven new recommendations for you, so add ’em to your streaming queue or pick them up from your favorite record store. (Record Store Day Black Friday, happening Nov. 29 and discussed at length in our feature, is a great opportunity to do that.) Some of our picks are also available to buy directly from the artists on Bandcamp. The Bandcamp Friday promotion, in which the platform waives its cut of sales for a 24-hour period, will return Dec. 6.
Cover art: Joy Oladokun, 'Observations From a Crowded Room'
Joy Oladokun, Observations From a Crowded Room (Amigo/Verve Forecast/Republic)
Joy Oladokun’s previous two LPs, In Defense of My Own Happiness and Proof of Life, helped her grow the fan base her thoughtful folk-pop-rooted songs deserve. Observations is honest about the toll that being so vulnerable about so much personal trauma for so long has taken, and it’s a reminder that she doesn’t owe us any of this. “Hollywood,” which features a verse from Nashville rap hero Brian Brown, considers how pop culture seems to only want certain things from Black people, while “I’d Miss the Birds” looks at the ways Nashville has made her feel unwelcome and unsafe, including our willingness to let Proud Boys be comfortable here. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Find Observations From a Crowded Room at your favorite store or on your favorite streaming service, and follow Oladokun on Instagram for updates.
Starlito, Imposter Syndrome (Grind Hard)
Speaking with rappers in town, I’ve learned that Starlito has earned the absolute respect of his peers and the newer generation of Music City MCs. Starlito’s way (why yes, that is the title of a mixtape series) has always been to keep the grind at the highest setting, but Imposter Syndrome is more about working smarter than working harder. While a lot of rappers brag about their luxe lives, Starlito now takes pride in meditations on his growth as a man. While any artist’s albums that fans think of as “serious” or “mature” always bring a hint of anxiety, Imposter Syndrome is fully equipped with tracks that pair the thinking man’s Southern rapper with some of the best beats of Starlito’s long career. P.J. KINZER
Soccer Mommy, Evergreen (Loma Vista)
“I wanted Evergreen to feel like you’re laying outside, eyes closed, the sun is on you, and you can feel the warmth & flowers & trees,” Sophie Allison wrote of Soccer Mommy’s latest release. What does that feeling sound like? Soothing vocals nestled within guitars soaked in time, a production that shimmers in mud. There’s the greasy glam-grunge guitar that opens “Salt in Wound,” and a fascinating preponderance of descending melodies that seems like more than coincidence. Standout tracks include the soaring Britpop of “Changes” and perhaps the world’s first plush pop — that’s soft power pop, get it? — song in “Abigail,” Allison’s paean to the Stardew Valley character. CLAIRE STEELE
Andy Peake, Pocket Change (Biglittle)
For years, Andy Peake has been an outstanding drummer across multiple idioms. His second solo LP Pocket Change showcases that versatility while also spotlighting other attributes. His acumen for composition and arrangement is evident on “The Scuffle” and “The Blues Is Here to Stay.” He penned seven of the 10 tunes, with other strong originals including “As Good as It Gets,” “I Don’t Believe Nothin’” and “So Many Drummers.” Peake expertly handles session production chores, and he’s enlisted a magnificent corps of area musicians and vocalists, from background vocalists like John Cowan, Shaun Murphy and Mindy Miller to master instrumentalists like Kenny Vaughan. Peake also picked a great finale: his dynamic rendition of the great Dan Penn’s “You Left the Water Running.” RON WYNN
Find Pocket Change on your favorite streaming service or pick up a physical copy via your favorite store or Peake's Bandcamp profile or website.
Cover art: Ashe, 'Willson'
Ashe, Willson (Ashe/Stem)
Only time will tell if Ashe’s third studio album Willson will be remembered as some kind of pop-rock masterpiece, but it is that good. Working with producers and co-writers Jake Finch and Collin Pastore, the California transplant explores young love with a sophistication that belies her age on the record’s 12 autobiographical tracks. She sets the tone on the opener “Please Don’t Fall in Love With Me,” whose arrangement artfully spans the album’s range. The arrangements throughout are delightful and full of smile-inducing echoes of past pop-rock masterworks. They provide a proper stage for Ashe’s inspired vocal performances, which skillfully express the album’s spectrum of emotions. DARYL SANDERS
Find Willson at your favorite store or on your favorite streaming service, and follow Ashe on Instagram for updates.
Cover art: COIN, 'I'm Not Afraid of Music Anymore'
COIN, I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore (10K Projects)
Electrifying indie pop-rock trio COIN has never been so self-assured as on I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore, their first LP since 2022. Co-produced with Gabe Simon and released in September, the 14-song LP expands on the catchy guitar licks and poppy hooks COIN is known for, with heightened levels of self-awareness, vocal grit and introspective lyricism. “Take It or Leave It,” “Slack” and “Problem” pair angular guitars and driving beats with candid self-reflection, while “222,” “Bloodtype” and “Olivia” present a softer edge. It’s a declaration of bravery against the fear of imperfection. MADELEINE BRADFORD
Find I'm Not Afraid of Music Anymore at your favorite store or on your favorite streaming service using this handy link, and follow COIN on Instagram for updates.
Cover art: $avvy, 'Air Guitar'
$avvy, Air Guitar (self-released)
MC and singer-songwriter $avvy’s 2023 project Bunny! showcased his excitement about exploring and embracing a huge range of different styles as he figures out how to blend them into his own thing. Air Guitar is simultaneously more cohesive than its predecessor and even stranger in the best ways possible. It’s sophisticated futuristic R&B that has $avvy’s own stamp on it, including layers of groovy lo-fi synths. But it isn’t hard to imagine someone like Prince being proud of a song like “Jesus BBQ,” a tune about $avvy meeting the Lord at the function and, more broadly, feeling like he’s in the right place at the right time. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Find Air Guitar on your favorite streaming service, and follow $avvy on Instagram for updates.
