Release Radar: October 2023

At the end of each month, Afterglow presents a staff-picked list of new albums and singles that left a lasting impression on our ears.

Written by Afterglow Staffers

Photos courtesy of @teograph, Alex Figs, and Hick Duarte/Divulgação

This October is Hispanic Heritage Month, so here are our favorite albums and singles released during October 2023 from Hispanic artists everywhere! For more reviews of recent releases, check out our album review page.

Shiny Singles We Loved This Month

“Movie” by GALE ft. Bruses

Carolina Isabel Colón Juarbe, better known as GALE, is a talented musician hailing from Puerto Rico, whose captivating work explores the intersection of culture and identity. As she sings in "Movie," "Caminando en un mundo de cine, siendo yo misma la heroína" (“Walking in a cinematic world, I being the heroine”), GALE emphasizes the idea of self-empowerment and authenticity. The song features a collaboration with renowned local poet Bruses, whose lyrical prowess enhances the song's depth. This creative partnership underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the Puerto Rican music and art scene, creating a powerful and memorable musical experience. — Shreya Gummadi

“Una Mañana” by Carmelo Haze

Carmelo Haze creates a soft, silky ambiance on this track that leaves listeners mystified and sensual. The enchanting cumbia, psychedelic quartet leave little to disappoint on this enjoyable track, featuring occasional spurts of divine electro-synth and plucks of an electric guitar string. — Rachel Joy Thomas

“Lila” by BEA PELEA

Neoperreo artist BEA PELEA hypnotizes listeners with this self-affirming anthem through intense autotune and an undeniable reggaetón flair. As she unravels herself from a summer lover, BEA PELEA delivers an upbeat dance track for audiences to confidently usher in a vibrant new season. — Lyndsey Segura

“Procrastinador Profesional” by Cosmovision

Hailing from Mexico City, indie-pop band Cosmovision bids farewell to summer with this easy, breezy bop. The upbeat pace and sparkly notes make “Procastinador Profesional” perfect listening material for dancing alone in your bedroom or on a drive with the windows down. — Charlotte Keene

“Cair Para Trás” by Personas

Personas gives listeners a slice of synthetic nostalgia with this airy, wistful indie-pop tune. Lead singer Quando Rodrigo Cerqueira’s voice glides across a light, hopeful guitar groove and pleasantly rhythmic drums. The song’s bright synth tones and light atmosphere are perfect for a night looking at the stars or a fall picnic. Personas has created the perfect soundtrack for a night out with your friends by performing a catchy chorus line with a pleasant tone. — William Beachum

“Pretty Girl” by Ice Spice and Rema

Rap’s newest princess, Ice Spice, embraces her Dominican roots in this rhythmic single with Nigerian artist Rema. With its tropical beats and lively vocals, “Pretty Girl” has all the energy of a sun-kissed merengue, each love-struck lyric and iconic “grrah” bidding the listener to sway their hips, “munch”-style. — Antonio Arizmendi

Glowing Albums & EPs We Loved This Month

Me Charma De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua by Ana Frango Elétrico

Photo courtesy of Mr Bongo

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Ana Frango Elétrico straddles the line of many different genres, but mostly lands among R&B, pop, and jazz on Me Charma De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua. The album is mostly in Spanish, but takes brief ventures into English with “Boy of Stranger Things” and “Let’s Go To Before Again.” Whether in English or Spanish, Frango Elétrico’s voice slides across these tracks with a luxurious confidence, both silky and sultry. She successfully croons on slower songs like “Dela” and “Insista em Mim,” emoting with both power and longing; but her voice also adapts to higher energy tracks like “Debaixo do Pano” and “Dr. Sabe Tudo” by softening her tone and improving her diction. Instrumentally, the album feels like stepping into a lovelorn disco. Big-band numbers like “Electric Fish” and “Boy of Stranger Things” let the horns and bass lead the way, with intricate rhythms and masterful mixing completing the vision of a deserted dance hall. “Camelo Azul” features an incredible usage of the flute, with the subtle hum of the instrument emitting serenity. But the album’s instrumental standout appears in “Insista em Mim,” with the horns, drums, and bass collaborating with the moody, melodic strings to tell a story of love and desire. The album does become stagnant at some points, with “Coisa Maluca” and instrumental pit stop “Let’s Go to Before Again” sounding too much like elevator music to stand out from the crowd. But with standouts like “De Sabe Tubo” and “Nuvem Vermelha,” Frango Elétrico has created a soundscape that listeners can get lost in, establishing herself as someone to watch out for. — William Beachum

Clase B by Mujer Cebra

Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Argentina S.A.

Mujer Cebra, an alt-rock trio from Argentina, commits to unsuppressed angst in this debut album, melding intense guitar riffs with a delicate vocalism. The opening track, “Y no me digan nada,” (“And don’t tell me anything”), opens with a declaratory symphony of drums and harsh strings, infusing itself with existential lyrics like “Siento todo desaparecer” (“I feel everything disappear”) and midwest-emo arpeggios adapted straight from American Football. In “Nuevos miedos” (“New fears”), a deep, rapid guitar melody leads the album into a grungy interlude, accompanied by biting, sharp Argentinian pronunciations. “El fuego es para quemar” (“The fire is for burning”), meanwhile, emphasizes a vocal delicacy. This melancholic ode to disastrous love acts as a quiet distraction from the chaos presented before. An upbeat tone presents in the second half of the album, with songs like “Nadie va a decir por vos” (“No one will speak for you”) and “Otoño Imperdonable” (Unforgivable autumn”), in which Mujer Cebra reaches for summery melodies similar to Wallows or The Strokes. Ending with unconventional distortions — namely drilling and warping effects on the guitar — “Donde termina el silencio.” (“Where does the silence end.”) cements the album in its more experimental efforts. Clase B, morphing between vulnerability and ferocity, is Mujer Cebra’s emotional and musical breakthrough and a fragment of their juvenilia that disrupts Latin rock from every direction. — Antonio Arizmendi

Me están apuntando con un arma by Aiko el grupo

Photo courtesy of Elefant Records

The Madrid-based quartet expresses the complex emotions of adolescence through their pop-punk discography. Aiko el grupo’s sophomore album comes three years after their debut two-track single, “Prefiero tener suerte … A tener buen Corazón.” Me están apuntando con un arma translates to “they are pointing a gun at me,” and the EP’s songs encompass the high-anxiety state that such a situation would elicit. Track two, “Soy una fracasada estúpida” — which features Mujeres — is sure to get your heart racing with danceable keys and a consistent pace. The energy may be upbeat, but the music carries a pessimistic attitude representative of the teenage angst often associated with their genre. To get listeners bopping, Tere, Bárbara, and Lara — the three vocalists — spend much of the album yelling their lyrics in addition to playing the guitar and keyboard. The album is entirely in Spanish but is reminiscent of the American riot grrrl sound, especially with “Es la forma que tienes de ocultar algo que hay en tu mente,” which features Axolotes Mexicanos, and the opening track “Niños furbito y niñas lo que sea,” even though the band is not all women. They get creative with their instrumentals on “wormz,” tickling listeners’ brains with synthy notes. Much of the music uses multiple vocalists, implying this idea of solidarity in the frustration. “GTA” implements a garage-rock feel with crunchy guitar and drums at the forefront of the instrumentals. Aiko el grupo slows down with their closing tune, “Love song,” a sweet finale that complements the adrenaline rush of earlier songs. The 11 tracks are quick and energetic. Me están apuntando con un arma makes for a quick listening experience at less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, the release is incredibly comprehensive of the nuance within pop punk and the Spanish music scene as a whole. — Charlotte Keene

EIGENGRAU by Kenya Racaile

Photo courtesy of Kenya Racaile

EIGENGRAU is Valencia native Kenya Racaile’s second full-length effort, brimming with a bold fusion of trap, reggaetón, and neoperreo. Through its audacious, energetic, and playful tracklist, Kenya Racaile empowers listeners to take themselves a little less seriously and maintain a carefree yet confident disposition. Stripped-down tracks like “7D” emulate the heat of a nightclub dancefloor with lighthearted sexual overtones, hazy synths, and a steady pulsing beat. “FBGM,” shorthand for “Fuck Bitches, Get Money,” is a more explicit exploration of sexual liberty, as Kenya casually sings, “No me enredo con cualquiera que me tire” (“I don’t get involved with anybody that pulls me”). Always audacious, unrelentingly blunt, and unapologetically confident, Kenya Racaile’s new EP boldly invites listeners to follow her lead and take control of their lives and bodies. EIGENGRAU’s predominantly trap influence uniquely contributes to the emerging neoperreo genre that celebrates femme sexuality and bodily autonomy, recalling the defiant lyricism of Ms. Nina and the barrio imagery of La Goony Chonga. — Lyndsey Segura