Maryland-based songwriter Michael Nau has been releasing solo albums since 2016, though he’s been particularly inspired in 2026, releasing three solo LPs and a collaborative album with Floating Action. The fifth in that run is the October 2026 album Popfly. Though in baseball a pop fly suggests a disappointing result, here, Nau is more interested in the lilting, pleasant travel of something that doesn’t have far to go and doesn’t move very fast in getting there. There’s the buzzing psych-pop of “Hi Beam,” which builds a circular chorus out of its title, and the galloping indie rock of “And Welcome Back,” which incorporates whirring synths and a woodblock. Our Favorite Track: The swaggering march of “Both Ends.”