Reviews

NYC veterans Interpol provide new and exciting moments and ideas on their eighth studio album, This Mirror Weighs a Ton, without shying too far away from their signature, meat and potatoes sound. Listeners wanting a newer reinvention or outlook from the band will have to wait on a future release. Partisan - 2026 Very few bands have the credibility that Interpol have. An institution that originally started nearly thirty years ago, NYC's very own Interpol have and still co

Yard Act still feel like they have plenty to prove on their third album, where the decision to record live in the studio together for the first time results in a livelier, more raw release. Island - 2026 Yard Act are a band from Leeds who came out of the late 2010's post punk movement in the UK. I've covered the scene many, many times over the years and have covered Yard Act before. The group stands out in particular with frontman James Smith's narrative, rambling vocals

Reality Awaits, the new seventh album from The Strokes, is ugly, garish, and appalling. It's a truly bad album that doesn't deserve your time or energy. RCA - 2026 The Strokes. You know them. I know them. We all know them. The classic New York indie rock band came out of the 2000's with a vengeance and a resilience that very few bands could even think to muster. 2001's Is This It and 2004's Room on Fire are timeless, certified classics, both having cemented the band as o

SML's chemistry and playing throughout are absolutely phenomenal and mesmerizing. Spontaneous Music Live is one of the most essential albums of the year. International Anthem - 2026 SML is a group of jazz instrumentalists who have each stood out in their own right within the Chicago experimental and avant-garde jazz scene. Meaning "Small Medium Large," SML features Anna Butterss on bass, Jeremiah Chiu on synths, Josh Johnson on sax, Booker Stardrum on drums, and Gregory

My New Band Believe, the debut solo project from black midi's Cameron Picton, is packed with folksy, experimental and psychedelic wonder. It's dramatic, fiery, and gorgeous. Rough Trade - 2026 There was no other band like black midi. The UK trio combined elements of prog, noise, jazz, and post punk into a whipped up frenzy throughout three excellent studio albums. In 2024, the group went on infinite hiatus, resulting in the trio going their separate ways. Drummer Morgan S

Croz Boyce, the new project from Animal Collective members Avey Tare and Geologist, goes back into the nature-focused psychedelia and acoustic work of their past. The album's immersive, rich, heightened sound will keep you wanting to come back for more and more. Domino - 2026 Animal Collective are always flourishing inside and outside of their group, whether it's coming from the band or from a combination of the members themselves. The psychedelic, experimental Baltimore

Baltimore's Horse Lords return with new vocals, effects, and instruments on Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, an album where the group's risk taking pays off in thrilling ways. RVNG Intl - 2026 Baltimore natives Horse Lords have a knack for rhythm, groove, and experimentation. They collaborate on a deep, tightly knit level to where their performances are so detailed and complex, they sound like they're coming from a well oiled machine. The quartet initially peaked my

YouTuber and musician Gabi Belle's debut album City Girl is a joyful homage to the city pop genre. It has a bubbly, colorful vibrancy that's fun and charming to listen to, despite its technical shortcomings. Gabi Belle - 2026 The YouTuber to musician pipeline has been well documented at this point, so I won't give you a history lesson here... but there's a new album that caught my attention from the likes of YouTuber, commentator, singer, and musician Gabi Belle. Belle h

Event Beat sounds like the Toronto group are still doing their sound justice after all these years, full of trippy, heavy, electro laced dance rock with a huge emphasis on groove. Satellite Stories - 2026 Holy Fuck! That's not just what I would shout out loud directly at the gods if I accidentally stubbed my toe. No, it's also the name of the Toronto based band consisting of Brian Borcherdt, Graham Walsh, Matt "Punchy" McQuaid, and Matt Schulz. Holy Fuck have been around

The debut, self-titled album from Setting is both remarkable and entrancing, where play and free flowing collaboration is key between the trio. Thrill Jockey - 2026 Setting are a band based out of the North Carolina / Piedmont area, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Jaime Fennelly, Nathan Bowles, and Joe Westerlund. Setting are also a supergroup of sorts, consisting of members who have been in groups like Califone, Mind Over Mirrors, Sylvan Esso, and Pelt to name a fe