Mariana Bell
Still Not Sleeping (self-released)
In the 19 years since her debut album, Mariana Bell has matured. On her eighth studio LP, Still Not Sleeping, Bell’s voice, production, and songwriting talent shine as she blurs the lines of vintage pop and country rock in songs that celebrate life. Bell’s new songs evolved as she navigated a journey through trauma and the difficult search for joy that followed. Bell wrote “Heart of Honey’’ for a dear friend who wanted a song in the vein of Otis Redding or John Prine. But when she performed the song for him, he declined it, saying the piece was so beautiful it had to stay with her. This friend died tragically in the spring and Bell says, “He is the impetus and the inspiration of the record.” With only nine songs on the album, undefinable in genre yet distinguished by passion, you’ll want more from Bell (released September 22).
Schuyler Fisk
We Could Be Alright (Cassidy Barks, Inc)
We Could Be Alright begins a new era for Schuyler Fisk. The singer-songwriter launched her music career in her early 20s with a songwriting partnership with Joshua Radin and a contract at Universal Records. She toured across continents with major artists such as Sheryl Crow, and made an appearance on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, but eventually left the label to pursue other interests. (Fisk, the daughter of Academy Award-winner Sissy Spacek and production designer Jack Fisk, is also an actress.)
We Could Be Alright arrives after more than a decade, and it’s laced with hope and heartbreak, melancholy and maybes. Local favorites Sam Wilson and Carl Anderson are featured—on “Take Back Everything,” a powerful song full of regret while wishing an old lover well, Anderson sings and Wilson gets writing credit.
The album is poignant and beautiful, filled with the right amount of sadness for the winter solstice. But, if you’re looking for a laugh, Fisk currently stars alongside her mother and Dustin Hoffman and his son, Jake, in Sam & Kate, a comedy that recently hit theaters (released November 2022).
Nathan Colberg
Dream On, Kid (Reimagined) (Tone Tree Music/ Nathan Colberg)
The cure to seasonal depression can be a lot of things, but one option comes in the pure pop happiness of Nathan Colberg’s Dream On, Kid (Reimagined). Colberg grew up in Charlottesville, and while a fourth-year at UVA, he started to share his original songs in living rooms and at small parties. In March of 2020, he launched his first headlining tour with a sold-out show at The Jefferson Theater. Unfortunately, when COVID shut everything down, Colberg’s tour was no exception.
The Dream On, Kid EP was released earlier this year, but Colberg wanted more for these songs. He says of the new release, “It’s a sibling, reimagined into a different genre.” Colberg transforms “Hold You Tonight’’ by adding strings and giving it an orchestral treatment, which turns the hype power-pop dance anthem into a ballad. If you can’t get enough of Colberg’s infectious pop style, Dream On, Kid is a worthy addition to your music collection (released September 2022).
—Samantha Federico