2026 Music Reviews

Gracie Abrams, Daughter From Hell (2026)   D
It would be wrong to say she doesn't have a nice voice, because she does (although many people do) ... however, it's not incorrect to say she's clearly imitating Mrs. Swift, down to the delivery and technique (and heaven knows we only really need one Precious Porcelain Cat). You know what this is? It's laundry folding music: match up the socks, put the towels in the bathroom cabinet and hang the pants up in the closet.

American Football, American Football (2026)   C+
Indie rock's Kings of Midwestern Melancholy are back with their fourth LP, except this is just a bit too wishy-washy and understated even for them. Or, maybe they've become so refined that they forgot how to take chances and change things up every so often.

Angine de Poitrine, Vol. 1 (2024)   B
Two masked and anonymous Québécois musicians - one's a (micro-tonal) guitarist, the other's a drummer - simply rock out for your entertainment, and their timing and skill are impeccable. Maybe they make it seem a little too easy - and there are no pesky lyrics or anything like that - but fans of Phish and the Grateful Dead might want to give 'em a chance (and then plunge head first into the polka-dotted wonderland).

Angine de Poitrine, Vol. II (2026)   B
They may not speak any sort of language us Earthlings might understand, but the intergalactic duo of Khn and Klek have returned for their second collection of micro-tonal jams with such memorable names as "Fabienk" and "Utzp." Maybe it could have used a couple more "frills" - aside from the periodic chanting of gibberish - but if you can't appreciate this even a little, you need to be force-fed Hawkins Cheezies and Moosehead until you do.

Courtney Barnett, Creature of Habit (2026)   B
You have to appreciate her quiet confidence at least a little: she's self-depreciating, but she's also quite perceptive and while she's never going to truly blow the doors off anywhere she's playing, she demands attention. There's something earnest about her songs, too, and that can't be taught.

James Blake, Trying Times (2026)   C-
"Walk Out Music," the opening track, is such a successful blend of electronica and Blake's warbling voice that I was thinking the rest of the album was going to follow along the same path, except Blake tries so hard to come across as this "lonely and sad guy" the rest of the it sounds like slight variations on the same melancholic idea. If he ever sticks to what he really excels at, he could make something truly memorable.

Blarf, Film Scores for Films That Don't Exist (2026)   🫠
Did this wonderful madman hire Hans Zimmer to write pieces of a movie soundtrack for him and then claim he made them? I sincerely doubt it, but you never know. It's the least expected type of album one would expect from Mr. André ... which was probably the point.

Bleachers, Everyone for Ten Minutes (2026)   B
Sure, Mr. Antonoff might still be doing a Bruce Springsteen impersonation with this project of his, except this is considerably more personal and catchy than previous records and it's also laced with nostalgia for his younger years (now that he's 42). The way "You and Forever" turns into this big anthem is just wonderful, "Sideways" is an enchanting opening track and "She's From Before" shows Dylan's also in the back of his mind ... and the last four songs (including "I Can't Believe You're Gone" and "Dancing") down the tail end of it. Still, he's one hundred percent correct about Jersey kids: they don't know how to pump gas.

Boards of Canada, Inferno (2026)   C
Here's another well-known group that's taken quite a while to release a new record (their last was "Tomorrow's Harvest" in 2013), and while some of the pieces on here, like "Prophecy at 1420 MHz" and "The Word Becomes Flesh" nicely intertwine jarring samples with their trademark "nostalgic synths," except a lot of it is dead space and generic beeping and booping that fails to make an emotional impact and certainly can't replace their best early material.

Broken Social Scene, Remember the Humans (2026)   C-
Nine years have passed since their last LP, and while the Canadian collective has undergone quite a few lineup changes since their debut, the core members of Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning and Justin Peroff have been there the entire time, so there is a bit of consistency. The core problem with this is that while the first couple of tracks showcase the kind of somber (and slightly snotty) tone (with some horns here and there) that they've been known for, it trails off significantly, and the remaining songs sound more like recorded jam sessions than fully completed works. Closing on an alt-country number doesn't help, either.

By Storm, My Ghosts Go Ghost (2026)   D+
With the unfortunate passing of Stepa J. Groggs in 2020, the surviving members of Injury Reserve came together and formed this new group - while opener "Can I Have You For Myself?" is considerate and nostalgic, the rest of the record can't match that track's beauty, with the rest of it dissolving into lousy ASMR (with the sporadic blast of a brass instrument). Two to definitely skip are "Grapefruit" and "In My Town," where the guys clearly didn't take into consideration how off-putting they are.

J. Cole, The Fall-Off (2026)   B
This double album from Cole - with the first half representing his mindset at 29 and the second at 39 - is supposedly the last release he's ever going to make (although no one should believe that) and while his honesty and compassion are (once again) evident here, it's a little over-ambitious: too often Cole sounds like he's reading out of his personal diary, and many of his topics were already mentioned in previous records. Still, the strongest moments - "Run a Train" (featuring Future), "The Villest" (with Eryjah Badu) and "I Love Her Again" - compensate for the more belabored aspects. My bet is that, since he's currently 41, he'll be ready to put out something substantial when he's 49 ... although I'm hoping sooner: the world doesn't have voices quite like his.

Converge, Love Is Not Enough (2026)   B-
No metal fans should be fooled into thinking they're "reinventing" the genre, but they do get the fundamentals right (speed, timing, a fitting level of aggression), and it holds up to repeat lessons. "To Feel Something" is one of the best tracks on here and it clocks in at less than two minutes.

Drake, Habibti (2026)   F
Drake, Iceman (2026)   C-
Drake, Maid of Honour (2026)   D
Instead of putting out a new album like a regular recording artist, Mr. Toronto decided to release three of them at the same time ... and while it's gauche at this point to make fun of him (Kendrick already took care of that) this is clearly his ambition outweighing whatever talent he has. That's not to say there aren't a handful of decent songs scattered around - "Make Them Cry" and "Make Them Know" are personal statements from him, "Road Trips" has a retro feel to it, "Hoe Phase" is cheeky - but the bad decisions (the Jamaican accent appears again, he embarrasses himself when he tries to be a "tough guy," etc.) grossly outweigh whatever few highlights on them. His fans will probably stick by him while everyone else will continue to find him insufferable.

Dry Cleaning, Secret Love (2026)   D
It's the same deal as previous recordings from this Mark E. Smith-inspired British outfit: banal pronouncements are spoken over lively guitars. If they were wittier it might be more engaging, but it's mostly reveling in being as snide as possible.

Fakemink, Terrified (2026)   F
How can you pretend to be a "tough guy" when your vocals sound like a hamster droning on about money (and how he doesn't care about anything) through a broken radio speaker? (Cool cover, though.)

Fcukers, Ö (2026)   D+
Aside from the second track "L.U.C.K.Y," which is fun and catchy, the other parts of the album sound like a less imaginative version of Sofi Tukker's output.

Foo Fighters, Your Favorite Toy (2026)   C+
Dave promised high energy tracks on this LP, and for the most part it accomplishes just that (although I could have done without the last two songs and maybe some fresher writing). Fun fact: her favorite "toy" is your Mastercard.

Kim Gordon, Play Me (2026)   B-
Considering all she's been though, it's inspiring that Kim's continued on as a solo artist and consistently releases new records. At 72 years old - which is three years younger than my mother - I think she serves as a role model for female artists who want to operate independently and create songs using their own style, no matter how "experimental" it is. The spoken word delivery isn't something that appeals to me personally, but it's what she's going with so I'll roll with it.

Gorillaz, The Mountain (2026)   D+
No longer content with just making lousy hip-hop (with "virtual characters") for the last quarter of a century, Albarn and Hewlett are now out to ruin Indian music by incorporating it into their off-putting beats. There are over a dozen contributors to the record (including voice clips from Dennis Hopper!), but adding the sitar, bansuri and sarod in select places (most notably in the opening track) doesn't help make the central theme, about death and rebirth, any more poignant.

Jack Harlow, Monica (2026)   D+
Years ago, Jack had an awkwardly cute interaction with Emma Chamberlain, and now he thinks he's Luther Vandross. It's not quite as terrible as many are making it out to be, although one has to wonder whether he made it because he thought it was "easy" or because he thinks he's "slick."

Hemlocke Springs, The Apple Tree Under the Sea (2026)   C-
North Carolina's own Ms. Udu made a name for herself with oddball tracks like "Girlfriend" and "Gimme All Ur Luv" (which were collected on the EP "Going...Going...Gone!") but there's nothing quite like those on this, her first LP - "Set Me Free" is fine, but it's also clearly meant for "mass consumption." Her wobbly delivery can be a bit hard to take, and when the vocals aren't off-set by a quirky production ... it gets rough.

Iceage, For Love of Grace & the Hereafter (2026)   C+
Instead of continuing in a "grandiose" direction like on "Beyondless," these literate Danish gents have decided to change things up a bit and are going for a more "traditional" punk sound - it's as if they put the Stooges' "Fun House" back on the turntable and thought that was a good one to emulate. The issue is, despite Elias' chutzpah and the band's timing, the hooks are mediocre and the record fizzles out after a very good beginning.

Joyce Manor, I Used to Go to This Bar (2026)   D
They stick closely to the power-"punk" formula of two minute tracks (and there are only nine of them), but would it have been too challenging to make any of them sound like they weren't written by angsty teenagers who were flunking English and dreaming of spending time at a dive bar? Choo-choo says the train, etc.

JPEGMafia, Experimental Rap (2026)   B
He wasn't fooling with the title: if this was released on Warp Records, no one would have complained. Peggy mixes in his Gatling gun-like lyrics with glitches, bursts of noise, acoustic and electric guitars and he even samples Ye on "Lights." Sometimes I wish he'd slow down just a smidge with the word play - it makes it hard to make out what he's saying and seems reminiscent of Eminem's later records - although there is never a dull moment. But what does he mean that there are no strippers in heaven? What about hell?

The Kid Laroi, Before I Forget (2026)   D-
At his "best" he comes across a little like The Weeknd, but at his worst (which is most of the time), it's basically 90's R&B which you would hear when trying out khakis at the mall. It can't be a coincidence that "Laroi" happens to rhyme with "fuccboi."

Lip Critic, Theft World (2026)   C-
Their songs start off sounding like UK garage outfit The Streets (even though Lip Critic's from Brooklyn), and then occasionally 'transform' into either death metal or some muddy variation of math rock. Maybe that's what they mean by the title: just steal from every genre, and maybe something will work at some point.

Madonna, Confessions II (2026)   👑
"Listen broccoli-head, I gotta tell you somethin'. You see this nice lady trying to look sexy in her late '60s? Her name is Madonna Louise Ciccone, and she's an old school Italian with an AARP card. When your parents were still fooling around in the back of a leased 1987 Pontiac Firebird they were listening to her. If she wants to make a song with some girl named Sabrina from Quakertown, let her. When she wants to pretend she's floating around outer space, that's her business. She was OnlyFans before anyone knew what that even meant, so show some respect."

Mandy, Indiana, Urgh (2026)   B-
If you've ever been listening to Autechre and thought to yourself, "I sure do enjoy these chaotic noises, but what they're missing is a French lady screaming her psychotic thoughts into my ears," guess what? This might just be the descent into torment you need. Head-banging is encouraged but not required.

Bruno Mars, The Romantic (2026)   C
Based on his success and all those awards he's received, Mars already has the formula for assembling a radio-friendly hit, which he shows off on ear-worms "Cha Cha Cha" and "I Just Might." The trouble is, he makes it look a little too easy, and so the record overall feels mechanical: after the singles, he cranks out the rest of the tracks, and the entire LP runs a tad over thirty minutes. Now tell me: does a true romantic try to "get done" as quickly as possible?

Megadeth, Megadeth (2026)   D
You have to give Dave credit: he's been releasing records for decades, and the entire time he's never really changed much, with all the shredding and string noodling and ranting about how ticked off he is at the world at large. As most people age, they typically mature, grow more enlightened and maybe make peace with what worries them and accept what's coming ... but not this guy, who's a 64-year-old teenager etching into his desk with a switchblade.

Mitski, Nothing's About to Happen to Me (2026)   B
She's had a touch of alt-country to her sound - her fifth album is called "Be the Cowboy" after all - but with this LP, her eighth, she successfully balances it out with a rush of heavy guitars (as well as some thoughtful lyrics). The first half of it is strong (my personal favorite: "Where's My Phone?"), although the latter portion kind of is something of a letdown, and it could have concluded on a stronger note (as opposed to just ... stopping).

Model/Actriz, Pirouette (2025)   B-
While his band bangs on metallic cookware and scrapes steel wool, lead singer Cole gets a little personal and talks about his own life experiences. They still sound a bit like a restrained Xiu Xiu, but this is a more rewarding experience than their debut record - in fact, at points it almost sounds like ominous ASMR, and I've been told their live performances are intense.

Modest Mouse, An Eraser and a Maze (2026)   C-
Brock has maintained that distinctive snarl to his delivery and "Picking Dragons' Pockets" is an energetic opener, but he's stomping back over old ground as he tries to be nostalgic ("Third Side of the Moon") and philosophical, which rings hollow when compared to past records. Is the "artistic well" dry, as suggested by a track called "Song About Nothing?" I don't think so - this could merely be a momentary setback.

Morrissey, Make-Up Is a Lie (2026)   B+
Anyone not familiar with Moz's idiosyncratic behavior and intentionally offensive opinions will probably be disgusted by him, but those who have been following his career for decades know that's just a part of his mystique. Even at 67 years of age he's a dominant singer who writes acidic and carefully-phrased songs, and he hasn't lost that joy from ticking people off. I will return the favor and order a McRib, which is what Lester Bangs probably would have wanted.

My New Band Believe, My New Band Believe (2026)   D-
Black Midi never did much for me, and now that Picton's gone solo, he's still making terrible "prog rock" with hints of jazz in there. It's so precocious it's like I'm listening to Raffi.

Neurosis, An Undying Love for a Burning World (2026)   C
Having gone on hiatus for years, this post-metal outfit (from Oakland!) finally released their latest record in a decade without much fanfare and while there are sections where they're downright incendiary (hence the title) there are too many parts that lag and/or kind of drift off into the sonic void. Maybe it's my ears, but every once in a while a voice emerges that sounds a lot like Oderus from GWAR (rest in peace, Mr. Brockie).

Nia Archives, Emotional Junglist (2026)   C
Back in the late 90's, I was really into jungle music (which came out of the UK rave scene), so it's fantastic she's brought those lunatic beats back over thirty years later, but she doesn't exactly do much with the genre that hasn't already been done by Roni Size, Goldie, etc. Also: why not give Sampha more to do? You've heard his voice before, right?

Nine Inch Noize, Nine Inch Noize (2026)   D
This collaboration between Reznor and Alex Ridha (who goes by the moniker Boys Noize) is supposed to "revitalize" NIN's earlier work, but Ridha's contributions do absolutely nothing to improve on the original works and, in multiple cases, diminish their actual power. You'd be much better off just listening to "The Downward Spiral" (or even "Pretty Hate Machine") and skipping this altogether, although I do applaud Trent for at least attempting to see what the next generation of DJs can do.

Genesis Owusu, Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge (2026)   B-
Owusu's commentary on current political problems (Emperor #47's tyranny, Elon's being a weirdo, oligarchs stealing from the public etc.) is much appreciated - other artists are too scared of "picking a side" for fear of losing fans - and "Most Normal American Voter:" basically nails the lack of intelligence of most of the public voting. However, it doesn't quite have the focus of his previous record, his delivery sometimes comes across like a mediocre imitation of either Prince or Kele from Bloc Party and it has too much filler: "4Life," for example, should have never been on the record.

Olivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love (2026)   C
The press releases and critics keep trying to push the narrative that Rodrigo is "maturing" and "developing" as not only an artist but as a singer, but the truth is that the majority of the album is her being "depressive" and disenchanted by failures in romance and "bad" past relationships. At least with her previous two records - which are considerably better than this - she showed she had some bite and snarl and a sense of humor. Here it's just her curled up in a corner, extraordinary beauty and all. The title's the giveaway: notice it says "girl" and not "woman."

The Rolling Stones, Foreign Tongues (2026)   👅
As with their previous album, not only am I refusing to rate new Rolling Stones releases (with this being their 25th LP), but actively encouraging them to be as rambunctious as possible. If Mick and Keith want to bounce around and still think they have stamina to go chasing around girls sixty years younger than them, I'm all for it. If they want to do rockabilly, that's great. If they're just reminiscing about "old times," why stop them? It's even okay if they reference themselves: there may never be another band quite like them in human history.

Snail Mail, Ricochet (2026)   C+
Thankfully, Ms. Jordan has ditched most of the more alienating vocal embellishments that she employed on previous recordings, and she does have a nice whispery delivery. Her lyrics could use a little improvement, however, and the majority of the LP is a tad too homogenized.

Vince Staples, Cry Baby (2026)   C
For being as intelligent and insightful as Vince has shown himself to be - and with so many chaotic things taking place on this planet - this is another disappointing effort from him, stating things everyone already knows: the media is a joke, crypto is a joke mostly used for money laundering and other crimes, police brutality is a major and unresolved problem, etc. I do like the use of guitars in parts and the Slick Rick sample in "The Big Bad Wolf," but it's lacking a tad in actual substance (and runs slim thirty-five minutes).

The Strokes, Reality Awaits (2026)   C-
Mr. Casablancas' rants against the current American Regime are always welcome - it's refreshing to hear rock stars speak truth to power (Tom Morello is also good at that) - except the artistic decisions made on this latest LP are highly questionable: if Julian's not horribly abusing Auto-Tune, the band is playing some weird funk ("Going Shopping") that sounds like it came from some other band. What's worse: even the songwriting is uninspired this time around.

Harry Styles, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. (2026)   C
Opening track "Aperture" and "American Girls" showcase what Mr. Styles does best - expressing (a.) nostalgia for simpler times and (b.) a sense of feeling alone despite being an international superstar - except the rest fails to live up to the potential of those two, since they're missing solid songwriting and the production plays it very safe. I admit I'm a fan of his (and he's not a bad actor either), and hope this is only a minor misstep.

Thundercat, Distracted (2026)   B-
Curtis Mayfield may be long gone, and there's really no replacing him ... but then there's this high-energy bloke, who keeps the spirit of funk going into the 21st century. There are plenty of collaborators on this, from Tape Impala to FlyLo to Willow, and yet it's a little concerning that the tracks where it's just Thundercat are a little flat in comparison. But his wicked sense of humor is still there - he lives in L.A., so what did you expect?

Tyler Ballgame, For The First Time, Again (2026)   C-
This Ballpark fellow - who looks like he could be the bouncer at the venue he's playing at - seems to have gotten some hype for his expressive delivery, and while the first track is nice, too often it's just him imitating the likes of Marc Bolan, Roy Orbison, Bowie, etc. Sometimes, just being yourself is the hardest thing.

Underscores, U (2026)   B
Although this third LP from April isn't exactly "genre-redefining" or super original, it's a nice little hyperpop record that covers the universal theme of simply trying to find love and romance in a messy and frustrating world. It seems like many young trans musical artists are drawn to heavily glitched-up sounds, and I'm here for it.

Kurt Vile, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me (2026)   C-
It's nice that Mr. Vile is paying homage to his home state, but he comes across like he recently woke up in the Kensington neighborhood: the tracks are basically aimless and drone on while he repeats himself. Yeah. Okay.

Jessie Ware, Superbloom (2026)   B+
Normally, I'm completely against anything that sounds remotely like it came from the disco-era, except Ms. Ware is an exception with the way she modernizes the sound and couples it with a fresh pop sensibility ("Sauna," the Ennio Morricone-inspired "Ride"). Philly's own Colman Domingo can be heard at the start of "Automatic" - which could have been part of the soundtrack of a seventies blaxploitation feature - and should the producers of the new Bond movie need a singer, she's your gal.

Suki Waterhouse, Loveland (2026)   B
Triple threat Ms. Waterhouse, who is a model, actress and singer, keeps improving incrementally in the latter category: "Notting Hill" might be one of the best songs of late about coping with fame, and "When I Get Drunk (I Want You Boy)" is just a fun pop tune. The latter half of the record seems to sag a bit, and there are a few numbers that could have been judiciously cut. Also, is it just me or does "Any Man" bring to mind "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B. Hawkins? (I'm assuming there's some kind of interpolation going on there.)

Jack White, Frozen Charlotte (2026)   B+
Mr. White has apparently summoned his inner Van Halen for this latest solo release: his swagger is undeniable, and that guitar of his - which he probably bought for $14 on eBay and reassembled using scrap metal - emits skronks and bloops all over the gin joint. It seems like he's having trouble with his lady, too ... we all feel ya, brother.

Xiu Xiu, Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1 (2026)   B-
The unique duo of Jamie and Angela are no strangers to doing their own versions of other bands' songs and making most of them sound deranged and zany, so this is nothing new for them. I could have done without the Talking Heads and Screamin' Jay Hawkins covers - since they're so familiar - but they manage to make Throbbing Gristle even more menacing, which is quite a feat.

Rob Zombie, The Great Satan (2026)   D
Mr. Zombie deserves credit, I suppose, for making films and continuing his musical career as well, except the riffs on here are recycled from previous recordings and there's nothing as infectious on this as some of his earlier hits. He might have wanted to rethink the lines "I'm an alligator / I'm a space invader."



Other Notable Recordings (Mixtapes, Demos, EPs etc.)



Singles of the Year: Baauer: "Better," By Storm: "Can I Have You For Myself?," Cola: "Hedgesitting," Fcukers: "L.U.C.K.Y," Kim Gordon: "Girl With a Look," Iceage: "The Weak," Sombr: "Homewrecker," Harry Styles: "Aperture," Suki Waterhouse: "Notting Hill," Jack White: "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs"


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