Reviews

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

The explosive, wacky, and mysterious duo known as Angine de Poitrine are back with a second album. Capitalizing on their recent successes, Vol. II is a bubbly, thrilling collection of complex musicianship, absurdities, and playfulness. Angine de Poitrine - 2026 Who would've guessed that two anonymous Canadian musicians with painted polka dots all over their bodies and papier-mâché masks would amass a cult following in 2026? Not me, exactly, but the mysterious duo known a

Creature of Habit is an excellent, playful, energetic return for Courtney Barnett. It highlights what makes her one of indie rock's standout artists and singer songwriters, resulting in her best album since her debut. Mom+Pop - 2026 Melbourne's very own Courtney Barnett has been kicking it with her direct approached indie rock for over a decade now. Believe it or not, but it's been eleven years since her debut studio album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just

Experimental comedian Eric André's new BLARF album delves into imaginary film scores ranging from elegant sci-fi epics to coked out Tchaikovsky. It's exactly what we need in 2026. Stones Throw - 2026 Eric André, the comedian, musician, and wacky prankster, cannot be pinned down. You may have seen his antics from his long running show on Adult Swim, The Eric André Show, his pranking on the Jackass inspired film Bad Trip, or his standup. What you may not know about André a

Flea's first ever solo album fully embraces his love for jazz and for his first choice of instrument, being the trumpet. He's greeted by an all star lineup of jazz musicians and guests, including both covers and originals. Nonesuch - 2026 Flea, one of the most iconic bassists and musicians over the past few decades, is returning to the instrument he loved first: the trumpet. Growing up listening to jazz music with his family and being idolized by famous trumpeters like D

Gorillaz travel to India with The Mountain, their ninth studio album. It's a transportive, immersive experience that excites and surprises, making it their best release in over fifteen years. Kong - 2026 Gorillaz, the virtual project of Blur's Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, took to India for their new album, The Mountain. Before the making of their ninth studio album, the duo each lost their fathers and were looking for enlightenment and a way to grieve their los

Wak'a is a smart, gorgeous addition to the duo's debut album from last year. Continuing to preserve the Aymara history through their music, Los Thuthanaka are still making incredible music that's not like anything you've ever heard. Los Thuthanaka - 2026 There's nothing else like last year's release of Los Thuthanaka, a record that's so chocked full of different sound effects, layers, and compressed to oblivion that it's hard to decipher what's going on even on the tenth

Fifteen years later, Manchester's WU LYF return with a second album. A Wave That Will Never Break is anthemic, triumphant, moving, and one of the year's best releases. WU LYF - 2026 "World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation" is what the acronym of the Manchester-based musical group, WU LYF, translates to. Pronounced "woo life," WU LYF magically appeared and dissipated both within a short span of time. Initially formed in 2008, the band seemed to appear out of nowhere years l