I honestly don't know if this is a return to form for them, or if this is just what they've always sounded like since K, but it's pretty good, actually. I'm hearing some Pink Floyd and The Doors influences in there, along with the usual bits of world music and general-purpose 60's and 70's psychedelia. Maybe I should go back and check out some of their more recent stuff.
Nevertheless, the Big Release of the Week for me is still the debut album from Softcult, which could conceivably stay in my Top Ten for the entire year:
They refer to themselves as "riotgaze," but they're more gaze than riot. It's basically just a really good shoegaze-pop record with very talented twin sisters doing the vocals. No word yet on whether they plan to make this a free download on Bandcamp, but all of their previous mini-albums/EPs so far are still NYOP.
There's plenty of other stuff coming out too, since the Christmas lull period is pretty much over... but more on those later.
I'm going to vouch that this becomes the official 2026 music thread for the year— fun way to do it—
I'm going to agree that the AOTY most likely wasn't released in January 😶 — but there's been slews of album announcements this month (including Jessie Ware just a short time ago), and the next 3-4 months have plenty to dive into—
That being said, apart from the new Brian Jackson, I've got nuthin' this week— _________________ Doubles & Conch
Here's another one — "Kiss Big," the new Ailbhe Reddy album. (TIL it's pronounced "Alva," and I don't think she's related to Helen Reddy, but it would be pretty cool if that were the case.)
At first I quite naturally thought this was a track-by-track tribute to the first Suede LP, because of the posing angles, but it turns out that's not what it is at all, it's just a nice folk-rock album. Reviewers have compared her to Julia Jacklin and Lucy Dacus, which seems fair... but there's someone else I heard not so long ago who she sounds exactly like, vocal-tone-wise, and I can't quite come up with the name because I'm almost completely senile at this point. If I think of who it is I'll post an update.
I honestly don't know if this is a return to form for them, or if this is just what they've always sounded like since K, but it's pretty good, actually. I'm hearing some Pink Floyd and The Doors influences in there, along with the usual bits of world music and general-purpose 60's and 70's psychedelia. Maybe I should go back and check out some of their more recent stuff.
Nevertheless, the Big Release of the Week for me is still the debut album from Softcult, which could conceivably stay in my Top Ten for the entire year:
They refer to themselves as "riotgaze," but they're more gaze than riot. It's basically just a really good shoegaze-pop record with very talented twin sisters doing the vocals. No word yet on whether they plan to make this a free download on Bandcamp, but all of their previous mini-albums/EPs so far are still NYOP.
There's plenty of other stuff coming out too, since the Christmas lull period is pretty much over... but more on those later.
I'm looking forward to listening to the new Softcult album. I will probably listen to it some time next week. This may be their debut album with Softcult, but the twin sisters behind this band are veterans of the Canadian music scene. Their previous pop punk band Courage My Love (think Paramore) had a bit of success in the mid-2010's and were even nominated for a Juno award (Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Breakthrough Band. In 2020 Courage My Love broke up and the sisters changed course and formed Softcult. Kinda glad they did....
If you like your shoegaze on the dreamy side, UK band Whitelands release their new album Sunlight Echoes today and one of the best songs on the record "Sparklebaby" features a contribution from Lush's Emma Anderson on backing vocals.
For those of you not yet familiar, they're a folksy dreampop band from New Zealand, also with really nice female vocals. This album starts out a bit harder-edged than their previous stuff, but they revert to form and slow things down about halfway through. I would've preferred they not do that, personally, but I assume that's what the surprise drop was for — they didn't want to warn me in advance in case I tried to fly to New Zealand, find their recording studio, and loudly demand that they become a full-blown shoegaze act.
We need this right now. Something dark & chaotic that you can STILL dance & party to. It's the end of the world. Might as well dance and remain D-E-F-I-A-N-T. URGH is going to become the soundtrack for our resistance. You just watch. 😈
Oh, & MJ! Mandy, Indiana are just one (or two) Kevin Bacons from Curve as far as sound goes (i think.) Tap, pretty sure you'll love it.
What FEBRUARY 6TH, 2026 release do YOU have your ears & heart set on when midnight strikes?! 🔭👀
Oh, & MJ! Mandy, Indiana are just one (or two) Kevin Bacons from Curve as far as sound goes (i think.)
It's too "industrial," if you ask me — Curve were more of a straight-up noisegaze guitar band (and again, while I did like them, they were never one of my favorite bands or anything).
I should probably wait until I can hear the whole thing before I make any sort of judgement on it — the three tracks you can listen to now are "just okay," to my ears at least.
Honestly, the only previously-announced album I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, and probably this entire month (until the 27th, when we should get the new LPs from Mitski and Nothing), is from Ulrika Spacek (no relation to Sissy Spacek).
They're sort of an art-rock, post-punkish band from London who are often tagged as "experimental" for lack of a more specific genre label. This will probably be their best album yet, though I won't really know that either until tomorrow when I can hear the whole thing.
There will probably be a surprise drop or two, though... There usually are! 😄
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