I used to think that all the good popular music came from the 1960s and 1970s. I was wrong! Even though popular music doesn’t have the same cultural impact that it did in earlier eras, there’s plenty of talent out there. These are the new releases I’ve been listening to.
Eccentric New York art-rock and slick adult R&B. I’d be impressed if any reader enjoys both of these new releases. Nirosta Steel My Skyscraper 2026, 9/10My favourite album of 2026 so far is a compilation of recordings from 1984 to…
A pop artist pretending to be rock, a pop artist who’s actually tough and abrasive, and an ambient/electronic/jazz LP Read on … Charli XCX Music, Fashion, Film 2026, 8/10In a 2025 interview, Charlotte Aitchison discussed feeling “barren” after completing Brat…
It’s like we’re back in the 1990s this week, with excellent albums from Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada and English singer-songwriter Beth Orton. Boards of Canada Inferno 2026, 8.5/10Brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin have been together in Boards…
Death Cab For Cutie are back for their 11th album of anguished indie rock. Meanwhile, the pairing of percussionist Beibei Wang and keyboardist Hannah Peel is fresh and new. Death Cab For Cutie I Built You A Tower 2026, 8/10Washington…
It’s a week of remaking and remodelling. Former Black Midi bassist Cameron Picton goes (sort of) solo with My New Band Believe. Avant-garde musicians Bill Orcutt and Mabe Fratti collaborate on Almost Waking. My New Band Believe My New Band…
I know it’s obligatory to insert a comment here about how terrible the year 2020 was. Down in New Zealand, however, we were well insulated from the coronavirus pandemic and life was relatively normal. From the list below, I’d only…
Two distinctive artistic visions this week. Enjoy the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach of British neo-soul singer Raye, and the arty precision of Wendy Eisenberg. Wendy Eisenberg Wendy Eisenberg 2026, 7.5/10Wendy Eisenberg combines country instrumentation like banjo and pedal steel with the precise…
I’m weirdly short of new releases to cover at the moment – it’s been a quiet few weeks. Enjoy the retro sounds of The Lemon Twigs and the late-night chill of Arlo Parks. Arlo Parks Ambiguous Desire 2026, 7/10From Nigerian…
It’s a low-key week – Kacey Musgraves returns to traditional-sounding Americana on Middle of Nowhere, while Glenn Donaldson is back with another gorgeous record of jangle-pop. Kacey Musgraves Middle of Nowhere 2026, 7/10Kacey Musgraves made her name with traditional-sounding country…
Two polar opposites this week – mainstream dance-pop from Jessie Ware and experimental fare from Joshua Chuquimia Crampton. Joshua Chuquimia Crampton Anata 2026, 7/10Joshua Chuquimia Crampton was involved in one of my favourites from last year – he recorded Los…
It’s an unusually rocking week – the microtonal art rock of Angine de Poitrine and the punk of Joyce Manor Angine de Poitrine Vol.II 2026, 8/10If Geese were the breakout indie act of 2025, Quebecois math-rock duo are 2026’s newly…
Two albums inspired by darkness and turmoil this week. Courtney Marie Andrews reports that she wrote Valentine during “a dark period of the world”, while The New Pornographers’ music is also inspired by global chaos. The New Pornographers The Former…
If you look at my favourite album per year list, both of these artists have already had a year’s best album this decade. The two albums this week are the sequels, and they’re both excellent. Avalon Emerson Written Into Changes…
Two very different albums this week – the succinct, retro power-pop of Mod Lang, and the sprawling, forward-looking house of Sun-El Musician. I like both artists, but both albums are a little flawed. Read on for details! Mod Lang Borrowed…
Always welcome, Dina Ögon deliver another album of smooth Scandinavian pop. American neo-soul singer Jill Scott is back for her first album in more than a decade. Dina Ögon Människobarn 2026, 8/10Swedish band Dina Ögon comprise lead vocalist Anna Ahnlund,…
Three female solo artists this week. Mitski and Hemlocke Springs deliver conceptual albums, while L.A. Mitchell is back with her first solo album in decades. Mitski Nothing’s About To Happen To Me 2026, 7.5/10On 27 August 2018, Mitski released the…
It’s an uncharacteristically rocking week. Ratboys play rootsy rock and roll, while Mandy, Indiana find the previously uncharted sweet spot between industrial rock and synth-pop. Ratboys Singin’ To An Empty Chair 2026, 8/10Chicago band Ratboys play rootsy, emotional rock and…
We’re stuck in the UK this week – the deadpan post-punk of Dry Cleaning, and Charli XCX’s Gothic literature soundtrack. Dry Cleaning Secret Love 2026, 8/10South London post-punk band Dry Cleaning expand their horizons on their third album. On their previous records,…
It’s an especially eclectic bunch this week – the ambient collaboration of Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, the funk of Sault, and Titanic’s concise progressive rock. Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore Tragic Magic 2026, 8.5/10Harpist Mary Lattimore and vocalist/producer Julianna…
It’s 2026 now, but I’m still working through some 2025 releases. New music reviews might be an overstatement here – Eddie Chacon released Lay Low last January, while Oklou’s had a baby since releasing Choke Enough. Eddie Chacon Lay Low…
As a one-person music website, I’m unable to cover everything. I’ve reviewed about 75 albums from 2025, slightly inflated by covering the seven albums of Springsteen’s Tracks II box set. Here are my favourites from the year. It seemed like…
Flock of Dimes and Nourished By Time are both solo projects from Baltimore artists, with monikers that sound like band names. And they’re both excellent. Meanwhile in Chile, Candelabra are making epic Christian-themed rock. Flock of Dimes The Life You…
The Crutchfield twins collaborate on Snocaps. Jeff Tweedy, formerly of Uncle Tupelo and Tweedy, releases a triple album. And Australia’s Hatchie releases another dreamy, 1990s-inspired album. Snocaps Snocaps 2025, 7.5/10Before Katie Crutchfield formed Waxahatchee, she played in a duo, P.S.…
Rosalía delivers on the year’s most ambitious album. Westerman delivers another album of exquisite 1980s-soaked melancholy, while Sudan Archives is inconsistent but sometimes great. Rosalía Lux 2025, 9/10Rosalia Vila Tobella deserves kudos for making four entirely different albums. She started…
Arty fare from three different parts of the UK – Wales’ Cate Le Bon, Scottish piper Brìghde Chaimbeul, and theatrical London band The Last Dinner Party. The Last Dinner Party From the Pyre 2025, 7.5/10The Last Dinner Party were breakout…
Neko Case is back with her gothic Americana. Brooklyn’s Geese are perhaps the most discussed indie band of 2025, while Melbourne’s King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard recently released their 27th album since their 2011 debut. Read on! King Gizzard…
England’s zolo band Cardiacs return, despite the 2020 passing of frontman Tim Smith. Indie band Great Grandpa are back with their first record in six years, while country star Tyler Childers is wide-ranging and philosophical on Snipe Hunter. Cardiacs LSD…
This week, we have confessional power pop from NZ’s The Beths and socially conscious folk from Portland’s Anna Tivel. Enjoy! The Beths Straight Line Was a Lie 2025, 8.5/10All of The Beths’ albums feel like therapy, but this one more…
I think it’s cheating to publish a best albums list during the year in question – like, what if the best album ever is released on the 15th of December? That wasn’t the case this year, but a lot of…
Music from three different continents this week: Jens Lekman Songs for Other People’s Weddings 2025, 8.5/10 On my first album there was a song called If You Ever Need a Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding) which wasn’t really meant…
Cass McCombs might be the best singer-songwriter operating at the moment. Alex G’s ‘Afterlife’ might be my favourite song of the year. And Erika de Casier is back quickly with another classy album of smooth pop – enjoy! Cass McCombs…
Paramore’s Hayley Williams and London’s Wolf Alice continue to make high-class pop Meanwhile, Nashville’s William Tyler creates exploratory guitar instrumentals. All three are well worth your time. Hayley Williams Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party 2025, 8.5/10Williams is best known…
Three different continents this week. We conclude our Springsteen marathon with Perfect World, the rock album of the set. Ghana’s Florence Adooni makes her international debut with A.O.E.I.U.. And London post-punk band Caroline released an excellent second album. Florence Adooni…
It’s a strong week, with the best record from Springsteen’s Tracks II and Justin Bieber’s most palatable record (I assume!). But my favourite release from the week is from maverick R&B producer Dijon. Bruce Springsteen Twilight Hours 2025, 8.5/10The best…
This might be the worst collection of album art I’ve ever featured in this column. Addison Rae’s debut has passable art, but Bruce Springsteen and Tyler’s art directors both mailed it in this week. Bruce Springsteen Inyo 2025, 6.5/10Disc five…
This week Hotline TNT go power pop, Springsteen goes country, and Stereolab keep on sounding like Stereolab. Read on for details. Bruce Springsteen Somewhere North of Nashville 2025, 4/10Disc four on Springsteen’s Tracks II set was recorded in 1995, at…
This week we have missives from New Jersey, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish highlands. Read on for details… Bruce Springsteen Faithless 2025, 7/10If you’re keeping track at home, we’re up to the third disc in Springsteen’s Tracks II…
A couple of bands are in tough spots in this week’s column. Black Country, New Road lost their lead singer four days before they released their previous album. Arcade Fire dealt with allegations against leader Win Butler. Both albums struggle,…
This week, it’s the boss, the complainant, and the defendant. Bruce Springsteen recently dropped seven albums at once – let’s start with 1983’s LA Garage Sessions. Little Simz’ Lotus is often preoccupied with her former producer and friend Inflo, who…
We’re sticking in Mother England and her colonies this week. Enjoy the urban narratives of Real Lies, the art-rock of These New Puritans, and Lorde’s intimate pop-poetry. Real Lies We Will Annihilate Our Enemies 2025, 8/10It’s always tough following a…
Hopefully there’s something for everyone – the smooth pop/rock of California’s HAIM, Ezra Furman’s intense psychedelia, and The Mars Volta’s jazzy Latin rhythms. HAIM I Quit 2025, 7/10It’s been five years since HAIM’s last record. In the meantime, Alana Haim…
We have music from both sides of the pond this week. There’s folk from Richard Dawson and blackgaze from Deafheaven. The two acts don’t have much in common, but both vocalists are acquired tastes – Dawson’s warbling and George Clarke’s…
All female and all American this week – Suzanne Vega plays folk (with some punk). while two non-country artists make a country album together. Suzanne Vega Flying With Angels 2025, 8/10New York singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega produced one of the 1980s’…
Alt-rock and prog rock this week. Blondshell’s refined her angsty alt-rock, while Neal Morse recruits a veteran band and gives them a hokey name. Blondshell If You Asked For A Picture 2025, 8.5/10Sabrina Teitelbaum took a while to find her…
Two rock records this week. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn teams up with The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel for his sixth solo album. Meanwhile, Ex-Vöid layer harmonies onto their punk roots. Craig Finn Always Been 2025, 8/10As much as…
Duets keep popping up on the music I write about this year, and today’s batch is no exception. Marlon Williams teams up with Lorde, while Justin Vernon duets with several female vocalists. Meanwhile, with only two tracks, Steven Wilson doesn’t…
Two new records from indie stalwarts. Lucy Dacus edges closer to the mainstream with the genteel Forever is a Feeling. Meanwhile, Dan Bejar continues his erstwhile path, mellower but unmistakably Destroyer. Lucy Dacus Forever is a Feeling 2025, 7/10 From…
Two female artists this week. Confusingly, Ichiko Aoba is Japanese, while Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner was born in South Korea. Both records are brief and mellow, but still substantial. Japanese Breakfast For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women) 2025, 8.5/10Zauner’s discography…
Two new-ish records this week. The erotic pop of FKA Twigs and the power-pop of The Tubs. One is extremely solid, the other is probably the worst album I’ll cover in this column in 2025. Find out which is which!…
This week’s acts have toned down their idiosyncrasies as their careers have progressed. Nadia Reid has transitioned from a serious-minded singer-songwriter to warm pop songs. Squid’s music has become less edgy and experimental. Nadia Reid Enter Now Brightness 2025, 8/10Dunedin…
It’s another eclectic week of new reviews with: All three records are highly recommended. Read on for details. Fievel is Glauque Rong Weicknes 2024, 8/10I’ve never ventured into the world of Zach Phillips before. The San Diego-born musician is prolific.…
As a music reviewer, 2025 started quickly. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny dropped a wide-reaching album in 2025’s first week. Canadian sophisti-pop act The Weather Station released Humanhood in mid-January. Meanwhile, I’m still catching up with 2024, hence the smooth…
I’m assuming that nobody cares about 2024 releases in February 2025. But there are still records in my pile that I didn’t get to last year. It’s not a reflection on their quality – these records were all released toward…
2024 was the international year of camelids. The war in Gaza continued and Donald Trump won the US election. Meanwhile, Bashar al-Assad was deposed in Syria. But fortunately, there was interesting music to distract us from the world’s chaos. It…
I’m still catching up with 2024 releases. Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti’s excellent Sentir Que No Sabes slipped out in June. But Lauren Mayberry (from CHVRCHES) only released her solo debut this month. Mabe Fratti Sentir Que No Sabes 2024, 9/10Guatemalan…
It’s another diverse week of new releases. We have: Two of these records feature church bells, befitting for Christmastide. Read on for details. Godspeed You! Black Emperor No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead 2024, 7.5/10 Montreal’s instrumental…
School holidays are just starting. This means I must review the albums with inappropriate language before my girls are home for the summer. Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator are both hip-hop superstars who stretch the boundaries of the genre.…
It’s the heaviest week of new reviews in this site’s history. Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere has been the most acclaimed metal release for years. Foxing’s throat-shredding indie rock has become even more intense. Foxing Foxing 2021, 8.5 Louis’s Foxing have…
It’s a 1990s revival week but with sneaky aliases. The leaders from two of the 1990s most beloved guitar bands are back. Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus has released an album with The Hard Quartet. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke are…
This week’s selection of albums is dark but enjoyable. Soccer Mommy confronts loss on Evergreen, while an ageing Robert Smith wrestles with mortality on The Cure’s fourteenth album. Soccer Mommy Evergreen 2024, 8.5/10Evergreen feels like a return to basics for…
Two English-based artists this week. Australian Nick Cave is back for another album of piano ballads, albeit less doom-laden than usual. Kelly Lee Owens explores her pop-oriented side on her fourth album Dreamstate. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Wild…
It’s a midlly disappointing week of new releases (keep in mind I’m generally a couple of months behind the rest of the world). Nilüfer Yanya and Caribou have both made better albums in the past, although both of their 2024…
It’s easy to imagine both of these two acts residing in late-1960s Los Angeles. Beachwood Sparks adopt a Byrds-ish jangle with warm harmonies. MJ Lenderman pitches his music somewhere between Neil Young and Pavement. MJ Lenderman Manning Fireworks 2024, 8.5/10Asheville…
There are some fun classic rock Easter eggs in this week’s pair of new releases. Bruce Springsteen duets with Zach Bryan on ‘Sandpaper’ from The Great American Bar Scene. Meanwhile, Magdalena Bay pay tribute to Love’s ‘The Red Telephone’ on…
It feels a little exotic this week – Brazilian jazz pianist Amaro Freitas plays music inspired by a recent trip to the Amazon. Bristol’s The Fauns blend shoegaze with pop sounds on their most recent record. Amaro Freitas Y’Y 2024,…
Two solo artists this week. Former White Stripes frontman Jack White dropped a surprise record in August. Singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins is back with another album of pretty new age ramblings (not an insult). Jack White No Name 2024, 8/10I’m probably…
Two very different female solo artists this week. Arooj Aftab inhabits a space between folk and jazz on Night Reign. Sabrina Carpenter is between country and 1980s pop on her breakout album Short ‘n’ Sweet. Arooj Aftab Night Reign 2024,…
Stranded in Australia during the COVID pandemic. Stranded in the US after a coup in Niger. This week’s theme is dislocation, with the power pop of Charly Bliss and the guitar rock of Mdou Moctar both affected. Charly Bliss Forever…
Porter Robinson has added some swagger to his electro-pop. St. Vincent has added some industrial textures to her art-rock. Read on for details. Porter Robinson Smile! 😀 2024, 8.5/10Porter Robinson grew up in Chapel Hill, the same town in North…
Neil Finn’s Crowded House has become a family firm, with his two sons officially in the band, while his wife and older brother Tim also contribute backing vocals Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt is back with a record where Phil Spector…
We dive into a couple of female-fronted indie records this week. Glasgow twee-pop band Camera Obscura are back for their first record in over a decade. I’d never heard of Itasca before, but it’s one of my favourite new releases…
Two veterans this week. Portland literate folk-rockers The Decemberists are back with their ninth album while Portishead’s Beth Gibbons releases her first solo album. The Decemberists As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again 2024, 7.5/10The Decemberists’ ninth album…
Two notably prolific acts this week. Neil Young’s back with his 47th studio album, an archival project recorded in 1969. Sault have their 13th release, dating back to 2019’s 5. Neil Young and Crazy Horse Early Daze 2024, 8.5/10Neil Young…
Two solo artists are back from unusually long hiatuses this week. Kamasi Washington’s tenor saxophone-driven jazz fusion is back for his first solo album since 2018’s Heaven and Earth. Husky-voiced British pop vocalist Dua Lipa is also back. Enjoy! Dua…
It might sound like another brace of female solo artists this week. But Cindy Lee is the stage name for Canadian musician Patrick Flegel, formerly of Women. It’s a strong batch this week – the mainstream maverick Billie Eilish, and…
Two mononymous female artists this week – the Americana of Waxahatchee and the smooth Afrobeats pop of South Africa’s Tyla. Waxahatchee Tigers Blood 2024, 9/10Indie artist Katie Crutchfield keeps getting better with each album. Tigers Blood dips back into the…
Two very different female solo artists this week. Mary Timony is a thirty-year indie veteran, having made her name in the 1990s with Helium. Portuguese-born Erika de Casier makes breezy R&B Mary Timony Untame the Tiger 2024, 7.5/10I only discovered…
Two artists this week where I enjoyed their previous records, but I’m not quite so impressed by their most recent efforts. Atlanta’s Faye Webster plays a distinctive kind of country lounge, while Glass Beach are unclassifiable. FAYE WEBSTER Underdressed at…
Two short albums by American female solo artists this week. Maryland’s Maggie Rogers makes likeable roots-tinged pop. From Indianapolis, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker recorded her fifth studio album in a backwoods cabin. Maggie Rogers Don’t Forget Me 2024, 8.5/10Rogers started…
The jangly guitar rock of Ducks Ltd are back for their second record. So is the ultra-sincere Atlanta-born singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. I was in from the ground floor with both of those acts, but I’m only catching up with Marika…
Two hyped British releases this week. Both are worthy yet the lead single overshadows the rest of the record both times. Read on for more information about two-thirds of Radiohead and five ladies in corsets. The Last Dinner Party Prelude…
It’s the last batch of 2023 reviews for 2024. There’s a marked contrast between the rough-hewn sounds of Asheville’s Wednesday and the pristine, keyboard-driven sophisti-pop of Laura Groves. Laura Groves Radio Red 2023, 9/10Laura Groves released her debut album, as…
It’s February 2024, and we’re still chewing through 2023 records. Two very different American acts this week. The country and power-pop-infused indie rock of Chicago’s Ratboys, and the latest record from rapper Danny Brown. Enjoy! Ratboys The Window 2023, 8/10There…
Still working through a few more records from 2023 that I hadn’t got to yet. This week we feature two very different Brooklyn-based musicians. Hotline TNT offer indie rock inspired by 1990s shoegaze. L’Rain serves up beautiful moments among her…
It’s my fifth year of ranking albums annually on this site. It feels like the weakest year to date. The top of the list is weaker than usual. The top-rated album is more a subtle pleasure than a blockbuster. On…
I still have a few 2023 releases to get through, but I’m hoping to get my 10 Best Albums of 2023 up later this week. I’ve covered the final major contender here, so I can publish my list. There’s also…
Chappell Roan and Corinne Bailey Rae have the same initials, but little else in common. One makes provocative, easily digestible music. The other has made an intellectual, ambitious record that took me weeks to get my head around. Read on…
Two solidly enjoyable albums this week. Twenty years after his breakthrough album, Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lake State, Sufjan Stevens is back with an especially forlorn record. Meanwhile, UK band The Tubs deliver their debut, energetic and concise. Enjoy!…
Two female solo artists this week. But they’re drastically different. Kara Jackson is a bluesy singer-songwriter, brutally honest on her debut album. Cleo Sol’s back with her second album in a month, her smooth R&B as warm and comforting as…
Acts from both sides of this pond this week. It’s easy to tell which artist is from which side. Blake Mills evokes Laurel Canyon, with traces of country and psychedelia. Tirzah has a more modern sheen. Tirzah Trip9love…??? 2023, 9/10As…
Two very different artists this week. London band The Clientele dip into 1960s chamber-pop with their seventh studio album. Chicago’s Jamila Woods doesn’t deviate from her usual R&B. Yet she explores different themes, tackling love instead of politics. The Clientele…
Two sequels from very different artists this week, following up their 2020 records. English art-rocker Westerman releases his second record, An Inbuilt Fault. American R&B artist Victoria Monét releases the sequel to 2020’s Jaguar, titled Jaguar II. Enjoy! Westerman An…
Two critically revered female acts this week – Dorset’s PJ Harvey and Japanese-born Mitski. They both feature unwieldy album titles, and records are mellower than their usual fare. Enjoy! Mitski The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We 2023, 8/10Mitski…
Just over two years ago, I reviewed new releases by Cleo Sol, Squid, and XTC’s Andy Partridge. Coincidentally, Squid and Cleo Sol just released new albums. To complete the symmetry, I realised that I missed Partridge’s 2022 EP the first…
Two more female solo artists this week, and again they’re quite different from each other. Jessy Lanza, from Hamilton, Ontario, is back with another record of classy adult synth-pop. California’s Olivia Rodrigo just dropped one of the most anticipated pop…
Two very different female artists this week – a classy singer-songwriter record from Julie Byrne, and an attitude-fuelled rock album from Blondshell. Julie Byrne The Greater Wings 2023, 8.5/10Buffalo-born singer-songwriter Julie Byrne was hit by tragedy in 2021. Her former…
