So I accidentally skipped this for April... 😅 so today we're doing two months of blurbs on new 2026 releases! Note that some of these came out earlier in the year and I was late getting to them. This is *roughly* in reverse chronological order but don't hold me to that.
Hilary Duff - (Mine) EP
Re-recorded renditions of seven of Duff's greatest hits. Some - "So Yesterday," "Come Clean" - are pretty much straight-up recreations, while others have slight tweaks. "What Dreams Are Made Of" is remixed into a clubby number, and I think I prefer it to the original? Also, finding out that Duff's daughter Banks is the one whispering "wake up" at the beginning of "Wake Up" did make me cry a little.
Fave tracks: "What Dreams Are Made Of (Mine)," "Come Clean (Mine)"
Kim Petras - Detour
First win: no more Dr. Luke! Second win: Frost Children and Porches producing! Third win: Petras' strongest, most complete album. Hooks for days, fantastic grooves, and more emotional depth than you would've expected from the "Slut Pop" singer. The electroclash revival of 2026 steams ahead with Detour.
Fave tracks: "I Like Ur Look," "Brutalist"
Kurt Vile - Philadelphia's been good to me
Listen, I've been a Kurt Vile fan for over a decade, so I know the drill - this is front porch music, music to stroll around your neighborhood on a warm morning to. There isn't a larger ambition here, the man's in a seemingly permanent state of relaxation. That being said, something about Philadelphia's been good to me feels one step too far into aimlessness. The vibes are here, but not a ton else - we don't have the variety and guitar theatrics of Wakin on a Pretty Daze, the country outlaw feel of b'lieve i'm goin down..., the classic rock worship of Bottle It In, the heart-warming family dynamics of (watch my moves). Philadelphia has all the basic ingredients of a Kurt Vile record but lacks that extra little twist; it's by no means bad, but not one I can see myself choosing over any of his other records with any regular frequency.
Fave tracks: "Chance to Bleed," "Red Room Dub"
Girl Scout - Brink
Loud, bright, punchy indie rock done so so right. Recalls the bands that were big in my college years in the late 2010's without sounding like a retread. Those guitars will punch you in the face occasionally, too, something more bands nowadays could make use of.
Fave tracks: "Crumbs," "Ugly Things," "The Kill"
Cola - Cost of Living Adjustment
Every time in the past I've listened to Cola, it's mostly made me think, "man, I miss Ought" (singer Tim Darcy's last band). Their first two records were finely-tuned, tightly-wound post-punk of the cleanest variety, but without any major distinguishing features. My hopes were high after hearing pre-release single "Conflagration Mindset" that this time around there would be a bit more to grab onto. After hearing the entire record now, I mostly still just miss Ought.
Fave tracks: "Conflagration Mindset," "Hedgesitting"
Feeble Little Horse - Bitknot
Three years is a long wait for just a 25 minute record, but Feeble Little Horse's third record takes enough twists and turns that you can see the time was well-spent. They maintain the distorto-pop sensibility of Girl With Fish while adding more jagged song structures and electronic influence. Somehow loud, warm, and unsettling all at once.
Fave tracks: "Cradle," "Doorway," "Dior"
Rock Burwell - Obsession
A wonderfully eerie soundtrack for the year's best horror film thus far. From the looming, Ethel Cain-esque guitars of "Into Darkness" to the ironic swells of "Love is in the Air" (parts one AND two), a remarkably impressive debut film score for Rock Burwell.
Fave tracks: "Into Darkness," "Can You Sleep With Me?"
Foo Fighters - Your Favorite Toy
A childhood favorite of mine (first rock concert!) that I've still kept up with over the years, Foo Fighters surprised everyone with the excellent But Here We Are in 2023, nearly three decades into their existence. Your Favorite Toy, however, is somewhat of a joyless lean into their hard-rock side, lacking the hooks that made them so big in the first place. In what's becoming a trend in this article, not necessarily a bad album, but not one I'm going to reach for when there's 5 or 6 better options from their discography.
Fave tracks: "Caught In The Echo," "Asking For A Friend"
American Football - American Football (LP4)
I've actually always found American Football to be a tad overrated; other than the obviously magical "Never Meant," I've though they were a bit too twinkly and wispy for my taste. Their newest record, though, cuts deeper than before; the sound is thicker, full of enough knots and weight to keep it firmly planted on the ground. Mike Kinsella doesn't hide his vices, either, making for a heavy listen in more ways than one.
Fave tracks: "Wake Her Up," "No Feeling"
Courtney Barnett - Creature of Habit
I doubt I'll ever love a Courtney Barnett album as much as I adore her debut Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit from 2015 - my freshman year of college, nevertheless - but Creature of Habit shows she can still crank out a great batch of cheery indie tunes. The Australian singer-songwriter sounds bouncy again, and mixes in some lovely guitar work for old times' sake. Perfect for a walk in the park or a trip to the insectarium.
Fave tracks: "Mantis," "Wonder," "Another Beautiful Day"
Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere
I have been waiting since 2018 for a Kacey Musgraves album to grab me like Golden Hour did. Star-Crossed was a total dud for me, and Deeper Well was a pleasant morning listen but ultimately too passive for what I wanted. Middle of Nowhere, on the other hand, has Musgraves fully back in the saddle. Her signature tongue-in-cheek approach to lyrics is on full display, from the unabashedly horny "Dry Spell" to the rivalry-crushing "Horses and Divorces," where she and Miranda Lambert give their own Tejano-country "Girl, So Confusing." The album also makes liberal use of slide guitar, which you won't hear me complain about a lick.
Fave tracks: "Dry Spell," "Loneliest Girl"
Danny L Harle - Cerulean
PC Music for space travel. More in the vein of contemplative dance contemporaries like Oklou and FKA twigs than full-on club jams, Cerulean sees Harle at his most polished and therefore perhaps most ambitious. Features from modern greats like Caroline Polachek, Dua Lipa, PinkPantheress, Clairo, and the aforementioned Oklou always help.
Fave tracks: "On & On," "Crystallise My Tears"
The Scythe - Strictly 4 the Scythe
Pretty much exactly what you would expect from Denzel Curry doing a fun side project! Great energy throughout and not meant to be taken too seriously. Certainly not on the level of Melt My Eyez See Your Future, for which we're still waiting a proper follow-up, but as a genre-romp mixtape, this works very well.
Fave tracks: "LIT EFFECT," "TAN"
Snail Mail - Ricochet
Snail Mail's first record in five years shows she's retaining her songwriting acumen while dialing up the 90's influences - perhaps due to her ongoing relationship with Momma's Etta Friedman. Smashing Pumpkins-esque guitars soar on tracks like highlight "My Maker," whose lyrics underscore a more philosophical angle from Jordan at this point in her life.
Fave tracks: "My Maker," "Butterfly"
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