“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” they say, and we all roll our eyes in unison. It’s a piece of advice said so often that its wisdom becomes background noise. “Flower,” the new single from Heaven Schmitt’s experimental pop project Grumpy, is a reminder why that stock phrase became overused in the first place. The gentle acoustic waltz argues that love isn’t a finite resource, and the end of a romantic relationship doesn’t mean the love you shared must come to a bitter end. “Your love is a flower that bloomed in my palm/ I wouldn’t dare keep it for myself alone,” Schmitt sings, and suddenly, moving on from heartbreak feels a little bit easier. —Abby

In 2017, Phil Elverum’s Mount Eerie project released A Crow Looked At Me, a full-length attempt to reckon with the death of Elverum’s wife. It’s a great album that communicates the heaviest depths of human despair, and it’s not an easy listen. But despair does not have to be a permanent state. Elverum begins his new song “I Saw Another Bird” with this line: “So what I saw another raven? I actually see them all the time.” The music is a light, reverby power-pop chug, and the plainspoken lyrics describe the feeling of communing with the natural world. There’s still a ton of sadness in this music, but now there are other things, too. And this time, we can listen without necessarily feel like cargo ships have plowed into our souls. —Tom

We’re all getting sick of shoegaze at this point, right? It’s time to wake up from the dream, right? Wrong! Not when Blankenberge are out here gorgeously surging through the haze, gracefully and ferociously taking flight over the Saint Petersburg skyline, soaring upward into alternate dimensions of beauty. If anyone dares speak ill of these Russians or asserts, all Phil Anselmo-like, that the trend is over, follow these simple steps: One, don’t pick up the phone. Two, don’t let him in. Three, don’t be his friend. —Chris

Amber Mark has always had a knack for repackaging old-school sonic elements with a contemporary sheen, resulting in R&B that feels both familiar and fresh. But on her third new single of the year, “Won’t Cry,” the singer-songwriter ditches the sugary Mariah Carey-esque pop in favor of full-on Donna Summer disco. Unsurprisingly, she plays both roles incredibly well. If we’ve learned anything from the music of this past summer, it’s that the people want to replicate the excitement of the club, and “Won’t Cry” is a fitting ode to the dance floor: “Dance floor, take me/ Break me down/ Liberate me,” she sings over arpeggiated synths. Mark herself admits that the message might be a bit cliché, but it’s also universal. —Abby

“Neon Signs” is the first preview of Tamara Lindeman’s new Weather Station album Humanhood, the follow-up to 2022’s How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars. The song pulsates with beauty and hope but begins with despondence: “I’ve gotten used to feeling like I’m crazy/ Or just lazy/ Why can’t I get off this floor?/ Think straight anymore?” Over the course of five minutes, “Neon Signs” unfurls enchantingly, grounded by modest piano before ascending with guitars, synths, strings, and even a gorgeous flute. Still, Lindeman’s expressive soprano remains the centerpiece as she sings about feeling lost and conflicted; yet somehow “Neon Signs” manages to serve as a warm, blossoming oasis. —Danielle