Listen "Out" music reviews for September 2026

 - by Jason Drewry
   Music Critic

LP – Room 12

LP has always thrived at the intersection of vulnerability and arena-sized catharsis, and Room 12 feels ready to continue that tradition. Their eighth studio album arrives led by the soaring Love Is All I Have, a reminder that few contemporary voices can pivot so effortlessly from quiet confession to full-throated release.

Rather than chasing reinvention for its own sake, Room 12 appears to double down on the emotional directness and widescreen songwriting that have defined LP's most enduring work. The new material matches the conviction of LP's earlier work, proving this won't simply be another entry in an already impressive catalog. Instead, it's set to be another affirmation that authenticity still cuts through louder than spectacle.

Some artists age into comfort. LP continues to write as though every song has something urgent to prove, and Room 12 is primed to make that urgency resonate yet again.

Ann Wilson & Tripsitter – Consecrated Ground

Few rock voices carry the authority of Ann Wilson's, and Consecrated Ground sounds poised to remind listeners why she remains a legend and one of hard rock's singular voices. Rather than leaning on nostalgia, Wilson and Tripsitter continue exploring the heavier, psychedelic path they began on Another Door. Lead single I Will Not Be Coming Back crackles with defiance, pairing bruising guitars with a vocal performance that still commands every inch of the room.

If the rest of the record delivers on that promise, Consecrated Ground won't be a victory lap; rather, another chapter in a career built on refusing to stand still. Wilson has nothing left to prove, yet she continues to chase new ground instead of familiar territory. That's the mark of an enduring artist. Consecrated Ground arrives with the weight of experience, but its eyes remain fixed firmly on the horizon.

Meshell Ndegeocello – Synonym

Meshell Ndegeocello has never treated the cover song as an exercise in nostalgia, and Synonym appears to push that philosophy even further. Built around a remarkable cast of collaborators – including Cynthia Erivo, Cat Power, Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, ANOHNI, Bill Callahan, and Robert Glasper – the album reimagines familiar songs as conversations rather than reproductions.

Lead singles I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) with Cynthia Erivo and Don't You Want Me with Cat Power suggest an artist more interested in uncovering new emotional truths than in honoring convention. If Synonym fulfills its promise, it won't simply celebrate the past; it will demonstrate how great songs remain alive through fearless reinterpretation. In Ndegeocello's hands, reinvention is hardly revisionism; it's an act of liberation. That has always been her greatest gift, and Synonym stands ready to expand that legacy once again.

Echo & The Bunnymen – Apples For Isaac

Twelve years after Meteorites, Echo & the Bunnymen return with Apples For Isaac, sounding less interested in reclaiming past glories than in proving they never truly left them. Ian McCulloch still delivers melodies with that unmistakable mix of swagger and melancholy, while Will Sergeant's guitar work remains the album's emotional compass. Lead single Brussels Is Haunted drifts between dream and memory, capturing the band's gift for making nostalgia feel haunted rather than comfortable.

The record doesn't chase modern trends; it doubles down on atmosphere, patience, and the cinematic grandeur that has always separated Echo & the Bunnymen from their peers. The presence of the late Clem Burke (Blondie) on most of the album adds an unspoken emotional weight, making these songs feel like both a return and a farewell. Apples For Isaac is confident, elegant, and unconcerned with fashion; fitting for a veteran band aging on its own terms.

The Gayly online. 9/24/26 @ 5:02 p.m. CST.