The year is halfway cooked, so here are ten albums from 2026 we keep coming back to.
Motorpsycho – The Gaia II Space Corps
The Gaia II Space Corps finds the Norwegian psych veterans plugging in, turning up, and riding their riff-heavy spaceship with undeniable charm (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beyond the Black – Break the Silence
Break the Silence is a fun female fronted melodic metal romp that consists of ten perfectly trimmed and bite-sized track that will have you reach for the repeat button again and again (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dry Cleaning – Secret Love
Nothing I’ve heard this year has topped Secret Love, which is saying something for a record that has been with us since early January. (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moon Mother – Meadowlands
A hauntingly beautiful, captivating and enchanting piece of work, Meadowlands is still the best, most mesmerising thing I have heard this year (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gun Outfit – Process and Reality
Process and Reality drifts by at its own unhurried pace. A great soundtrack for summer, may it be long and hot. (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Panorama is a masterclass in retro sounding progressive rock, or adventure rock, as these Swedes call it themselves, and adventurous it is indeed (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colleen turns warm analog synths into open water: calm, glowing, but never entirely safe (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ponte del Diavolo – De Venom Natura
The second album by Turin’s best kept secret sees the band refining and improving their sound and delivering an album that’s a right step up from the already excellent debut (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boards of Canada – Inferno
It’s not their best work, but releases from the Scottish brothers are few and far between, so naturally, this one had to be included (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chez Kane – Reckless
With a sound that’s pulled straight out of the eighties, this is an infectious collection of perfectly played nostalgia (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s it for now, and we’re sure there’s plenty more to come. See you again at the end of the road.
Wander (WRM) & Ralph (RP) – 080726
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