2026 Albums

A fun, short, and punchy punk album. It is full of Ramones influence and probably many others. When I think of "punk" this album fits the definition.

I forgot (pun not intended) about this album; I tend to think of "7/4 (Shoreline)" from their self-titled record but this is a fantastic soundscape that I've overlooked despite it sitting right beside the aforementioned CD on my shelf. I chose to listen to this album after "Cause = Time" appeared on a Daily Mix on Spotify.

I was slightly underwhelmed by this album, but not because it wasn't good. It was good! But most of the songs washed away with the rest of them. The stand out track is of course Walking With a Ghost; but so are So Jealous and Speak Slow. Actually, "Ghost" starts a short run of some really great ones.

Another artist I first heard on Alt Nation. I knew there was a new album last year but never got around to it until now. A much more chill & laid back album than I expected; "White Horses" was my favourite and the whole album gave me "mid-2000s Canadian indie rock" vibes.

I caught "Monday Murder" on Alt Nation (SiriusXM) and I dug it, so wanted to hear more; plus Yungblud was featured on Aerosmith's latest EP so that caught my eye too. This album has a few different sounds going for it, but Monday Murder is the outlier. I hear a lot more rock influences than 80s alternative. Also reminds me of a cross between Oasis (it's the voice mostly) and Our Last Peace (the heavy guitars).

I found this through Spotify's "Daylist", hearing the title track first. It's a folksy-sounding duet, but there's some grittiness to it underneath. Listened to the whole thing and pleased to find out it's full of duets with iconic female country/folk artists.

Another rec from Jake. SAULT from the UK is apparently a prolific band that's been around for years. Great mix of soul and indie/alternative trappings. My music listening is for vibes more so than listening to the lyrics, and this album delivers. I would pick this one up on a BC Friday, easily one of my first must-purchase albums for 2026.

The only dilemma? Choosing between digital only and vinyl (which, honestly, might be determined based on currency conversion and shipping cost).

This was recommended to me by Jake on Mastodon; while it is a very chill album, it's not my go-to listening. Tracks 8 & 11 are my jam, but I'd have to be in a specific mood, looking for chill music, to listen to this one.