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Muna – Dancing on the Wall
The album is a fun, punchy dance record that will definitely be the soundtrack of my summer. It’s propulsive, full of queer joy, cheeky lyricism, and relatable insecurities as they ruminate on “being past their prime” as pop stars in their early 30s. It will undoubtedly be an amazing live show and is a testament to the importance of artists taking breaks, going out and living and resting before coming back with new things to say and experiences to detail. Jane Tytla, New England, US
Maya Hawke – Maitreya Corso
Maya Hawke’s Maitreya Corso is the first album of this year that reminded me of the joy of just getting really into a record. I’ve seen it dismissed as twee in reviews but it feels like a bit of a (probably mildly sexist) disservice to the record. It definitely has a kind of breathless quality to it, but that, to me, feels much more like an insight into someone’s stream-of-consciousness inner monologue rather than any manic pixie dream girl artifice. There’s so much great writing on here. Some of it feels comfortingly akin to the (not-so-) nonsense poems I read as a child. Some of it is jarring and uncomfortable. The record covers a lot of less-common songwriting ground – living in the shadow of an older sibling; finding that the career pipe-dream isn’t necessarily fulfilling. I’m also obsessed with female songwriters showing their less palatable behaviours and resisting sanitising or effortless it-girling their emotions. When you get to the understated romance of Dream House, it really does feel like you’ve lived through a season of Hawke’s personal growth and learned a load of her life lessons. Kate Koell, Leeds
Arlo Parks – Ambiguous Desire
I’ve been a fan of Arlo Parks from the start, and was lucky enough to see her open for Clairo in 2022. But every aspect of this new album hit the mark for me. I love the texture, the sound, the lyrics. You can tell it is all expertly produced and performed. But I think what makes it the best of the year for me is the emotional vulnerability, and that it doesn’t ask you to have a resolution to the complicated feelings it presents. Just stewing in those feelings makes the soulful dance beats hit even harder. Sam, Missouri, US
Jalen Ngonda – Doctrine of Love
Jalen Ngonda’s Doctrine of Love is a triumphant masterpiece of modern soul. Soaking in the legendary grit of 1960s Detroit and Chicago, Ngonda weaves gospel-kissed backing vocals, lush orchestral arrangements and cinematic horns. His staggering falsetto breathes fresh, compassionate life into timeless traditions, delivering an absolutely electrifying, vintage vibe – and yet it was released in 2026. David Kelly, Glasgow
Aldous Harding – Train on the Island
For me, a return to form after her previous album. Hypnotic voice, obscure lyrics and great tunes and musicianship. All the things I love about her. Sadly it didn’t even chart, but she still sells out concert venues. I first came upon Aldous Harding when a friend of mine invited me to a gig back in 2016 at Crofters Rights in Bristol. It was only a small stage at the back of a pub, but she had a kind of magnetic, mysterious charisma and also a very dry wit. She also managed to do a pretty magnificent version of Wuthering Heights. I fell in love with her music immediately and she has continued to release captivating music ever since; the meaning of some of her songs is difficult to decipher, which only adds to the magic! I’ve seen her another four times since that first gig (all in Bristol, a city that she holds dear as she has recorded albums there) and I’ve never known an artist who can transfix her audience in the way she does. In a room of thousands, you can hear a pin drop! Richard Hill, Frome, Somerset
Ellie O’Neill – Time of Fallow
There has been a lot of music this year but the one record that really stood out and stayed on heavy rotation is Time of Fallow by Ellie O’Neill. As a debut album, it’s incredibly well realised and there’s not a wasted second. Anna with the Silver Arrow is perhaps the immediate earworm, but it’s Bohemia with its lightning crash percussion that provides the centrepiece. Couple this with her amazing live performance and she’s one to keep an eye on. For fans of Laura Marling, Nick Drake. Paul Thomas, Hemel Hempstead
Tyler Ballgame – For the First Time, Again
Tyler Ballgame’s For the First Time, Again pulls off that special trick of sounding like some timeless piece of old school Americana, despite only being released earlier this year. Tyler’s voice absolutely drips with emotion – his fragile and idiosyncratic falsetto immediately makes you sit up and take notice. The album starts incredibly strong out of the gates with both the title track and I Believe In Love becoming instantaneous earworms, but there’s serious depth beyond, with intelligent and vulnerable songwriting displayed throughout. I had the great pleasure of seeing him play live at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds last month, and it was incredible to see how grateful Tyler seemed to be to share his talent with the world. Hywel Sedgwick, West Yorkshire
Flea – Honora
It’s hard for me to pick a favourite album of the year, but it’s easy to pick my favourite surprise of the year, and that would be Honora, the debut solo album by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. I am not a big RHCP fan, but I am a fan of Flea’s bass mastery, so I was intrigued when he announced that his album would have an electric jazz fusion vibe – which is all true, and he also returned to his childhood instrument of the trumpet and practised hard for the past few years. On paper, this shouldn’t work, especially his cover version of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain, but that track turns out to be gorgeous, and the whole album is one warm, lovely listen that still challenges your ears. Matthew Reed Baker, Massachusetts, USA
Boards of Canada – Inferno
Where do I even begin? It’s their first release in 13 years and their first release since I became a fan in 2022 so I was extremely excited to hear new music from them. I heard it for the first time at a record store listening party where I was able to get exclusive merch and I bought the vinyl on the spot. And it’s extremely good! Each song on Inferno really feels like it had so much effort put into it, and despite a lot of them having a bit of a dark atmosphere, some of them are so groovy it’s ridiculous. I highly doubt anything else this year will beat it. Athanasios Trochalakis, Washington, US
Kneecap – Fenian
I love the new Kneecap album! I adore hardcore, aggressive, grimy hip-hop, but a lot of the older stuff by other artists has content that makes it pretty hard to listen to, especially its homophobia (I’m transgender so this matters a lot to me). I’m so happy to have a new, aggressive, hardcore, devil-may-care hip-hop album that I can stand with my whole heart! The aggressive delivery and slightly off-kilter beat of Gael Phonics makes it the highlight for me. Lily, Florida, US
Gorillaz – The Mountain
My favourite new album of 2026 is The Mountain by Gorillaz. Like many great albums it reveals itself over multiple listens. Conceptually and lyrically, the album cements Damon Albarn’s legacy as a true great songwriter. There is an Indian feel throughout, with the opening track laying down a marker which is picked up on repeatedly, if not necessarily on every track. The Happy Dictator and Orange County showcase Albarn’s lyrical ability and talent for writing a catchy tune respectively. Created in the shadow of their fathers’ deaths, the album reflects upon mortality on a personal but also global level, with the album closer The Sad God wearily and poignantly reflecting on where we are and where we seem to be heading. Seeing the album performed live was an unexpectedly moving experience, with Jamie Hewlett’s animations reminding us that this is a partnership of equals in a class of their own. Ed Wilkinson, Malvern
Raye – This Music May Contain Hope
For sheer likability, for chutzpah, for the fully-present personality of its maker, nothing’s touching Raye’s This Music May Contain Hope as my album of the year so far. I’ve been a fan of hers since catching her 2024 Glastonbury set on TV, without honestly being a fan of her music until now. This album changes that, and it is an album: a start-to-finish, undeniably long listen that almost instantaneously buoys the day like a life raft inflating. It’s a record with giant heart-on-sleeve and optimistic intent in title. It’s a gift of her character, humour and light, very gratefully received these last few gruelling months. Oh, and it’s marvellously written, played and produced and oof, can she sing! Nick Black, London
Brian Jackson – Now More Than Ever
Brian Jackson was the main musical and creative partner of Gil Scott-Heron throughout the 1970s when Gil was the voice of black America, giving vent to its anger and alienation. This amazing album, released 15 years after the death of Gil, sees Brian finally get round to not only celebrating his musical partner by putting himself back into the story, but subtly updating some of the classics for today’s troubled times. Over three LPs or two CDs we get reworkings of such landmark classics as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Winter in America, The Bottle and Home is Where the Hatred Is; all aided by a host of contemporary soul, funk, club and hip-hop stars such as Omar, Moodymann and Rahsaan Patterson. Should be the soundtrack of the summer! Gerry Hassan, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
The Cribs – Selling a Vibe
They’ve been an unfashionable cult band for nearly 20 years, but Selling a Vibe by the Cribs is their best set since 2007’s Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever. It showcases a band evolving into life in their 40s, touching on personal and commercial turmoil and showing that their brotherly bond is unbreakable. The Jarmans really are national treasures. Chris, London
J Cole – The Fall-Off
It took a few listens to really start to understand this album. Arguably, it is a bit overlong but, after living with this collection for a few months, it grows and grows until the facts become undeniable: J Cole is one of the most versatile rappers alive and really takes time to craft his lyrics and the melodies and beats that live together. Pure concept, and he’s surely not retiring anytime soon. Hugh Ogilvie, Oxfordshire
English (US) ·