As an eternal optimist, I can at least point to some objectively good things that have happened in the first months of 2026. The New York Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years, for one, and the nearly daily accomplishments of Zohran Mamdani, who is on track to be the City’s best mayor in my lifetime, for another. But much of what’s going on in this country and the world is either depressing or enraging (or both), putting that inborn optimism to a severe test.
Music never fails me, however, and this year has been no different. Don’t believe the doubters: it’s been a wonderful year for recorded music. I’ve listened to a few hundred releases and reviewed over 200, so coming up with a Top 25 was no easy task. Once again, I looked to my gut, picking out the albums that demanded repeat listens and delivered something new each time. There are some unusual features to this list. For the first time since 2019, I’ve included a live album (two, in fact), and there’s also a compilation, which has never happened before. In what may be a record, five debut albums also appear here, although at least two of them (Beck Zegans and Victoryland) are career resets after other projects ran their course.
So let’s get into it, get down to it, get up with it—however you do it! Click the links to find my original reviews, and listen to a sample of most of the albums here or below.
Maisy Owen - Dark On A Sunny Day (Tompkins Square) “As soon as I heard the first notes of My Youth Is All For You, Maisy Owen’s debut single last October, I knew I was in the presence of someone special.”
Beverly Glenn-Copland - Laughter In Summer (Transgressive) “If this does prove to be Glenn-Copland’s final album, no better valedictory could be imagined for his unique and generous career.”
Tyshawn Sorey - Monochromatic Light (Afterlife) (DACAMERA Editions) “Rather than rejecting the passage of time, Sorey’s command of the massive architecture of the work is total.”
Matt Evans - Daydream Observatory (AKP) “…an incredible assembly of tracks that puts his percussive mastery and compositional and production genius on full display.”
Robber Robber - Two Wheels Move The Soul (Fire Talk) “Regardless of the level of attention Robber Robber achieves, the fact that they have hit the top ranks of contemporary rock bands is indisputable.”
Tessa Rose Jackson - The Lighthouse (Tiny Tiger) “Accompanied by a sensitive four-piece band and decorated with occasional synths, strings, and winds, every song feels perfectly realized, with the playing and production revealing an inherent mystique.”
Flutronix - Black Being (Cedille) “…Black Being strikes me as not just a mere album or performance piece. It should be recognized as an essential text illuminating the Black experience—especially for women—in America.”
Victoryland - My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras (Good English) “…blends driving guitars, cerebral synths, and explosive emotions to fantastic effect.”
Nnux - Metamorfosis (CMNTX Records) “Nnux’s use of multilayered vocals and often aggressively percussive electronic sounds seems designed to alter the air around you.”
Geese - Live At Third Man Records (Third Man) “In concert, the newer songs have a transparency and looseness that distinguish them from the dense and tense studio recordings, providing an alternate perspective on one smash after another.” [VINYL ONLY]
Dry Cleaning - Secret Love (4AD) “When you get tired of the voice in your own head, replace it with Florence Shaw’s, who somehow continues to expand on her talk-singing style with new melodic nuances. Guitarist Tom Dowse is her perfect foil, too…”
Hiss Golden Messenger - I’m People (Chrysalis) “…repeated listens will reward you with deft musical touches, lyrical turns of phrase, and moments of deep humanity that will make you feel less alone.”
Ben Seretan & John Thayer - Sunbeam Of No Illusion (AKP) “Your musical and emotional life will be richer from the journey.”
Leah Senior - Pt. Roadknight (SPINSTER/Third Eye Stimuli) “Her melodies still flow like water as her brook-clear voice delivers lyrics about the world’s natural beauty and/or the complexity of other human beings.” [BANDCAMP/PHYSICAL ONLY]
Beck Zegans - Engraving Of Armor (Exploding In Sound) “I can be a little slow, I guess, but by the fourth listen, it dawned on me: this is a GREAT ROCK ALBUM.”
Friko - Something Worth Waiting For (ATO) “…takes full advantage of the enlarged band and the talents of producer John Congleton to fill out each song to nearly symphonic proportions, making for a thrilling ride.”
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour (Live) (Darkroom/Interscope) “…a beautifully recorded showcase for her fantastic songs, filled with many electric moments between her and the crowd.” [VINYL ONLY]
Feeble Little Horse - Bitknot (Saddle Creek) “…they’ve only become more convinced (and convincing) about a digitally detailed approach to music that combines crunchy guitars, candy-coated electronics, pounding rhythms, and sugary melodies.”
Michael F. Hunt - Passage Of Time: The Music Of Michael F. Hunt (Phantom Limb) “While Terry Riley and Steve Reich are certainly reference points, there’s nothing derivative about Hunt’s work, which sounds as sharp and fresh as if it were created yesterday.”
Fruit Bats - The Landfill (Merge) “…The Landfill is in no way a retread, with Johnson leaning (wonderfully) hard into his vocal eccentricities while spreading his melodic wings in a series of heartfelt songs that are beautifully played by his band.”
Baby Cool - Infinity Baby (Fuzz Club/Reverberation Appreciation Society) “The album takes you on a journey, too, and by the time you get to Otherside, the last track, listener and artist both have earned every second of its grandeur.”
Various Artists - Red Xerox (New Now) “…a 21st-century Wanna Buy A Bridge…A towering document of the incredible scene in the Windy City from 2020 to right now…” [BANDCAMP/VINYL ONLY]
Miss Grit - Under My Umbrella (Mute) “If Miss Grit keeps upgrading like this, there’s no limit to their trajectory.”
Pigeon - OUTTANATIONAL (Memphis Industries) “…incorporates punk-funk, ambient textures, and dance music of all kinds, with plenty of colorful details and even more energy.”
Very Nice Person - Trampoline (Sound Nutrition/EMPIRE) “The album’s rich, kaleidoscopic sound world buoys their sweet voices skyward with every song delivering an embrace via either a groove or lush keyboards and acoustic guitars.”
As I said above, I’ve listened to plenty more this year. Take the full measure of 2026 with my Of Note playlist. What did I miss??
Best Of 2025 (So Far)
Best Of 2024 (So Far)
Best Of 2023 (So Far)
The Best Of 2022 (So Far)
The Best Of 2021 (So Far)
The Best Of 2020 (So Far)
Best Of 2019 (So Far)
The Best Of 2018 (So Far)
Best Of 2017 (So Far)
Best Of 2016 (So Far), Pt. 1
Best Of 2016 (So Far), Pt. 2
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