Though this album is brand-new, it’s already going down as one of the best of the year! Angel Olsen uses the sounds of her birthplace of Missouri to process the complex her first year after coming out as gay.
On their third album, the distinctly Irish band make their most earthy, grounded release to date. Even the most catchy songs like “Jackie Down The Line” are layered with booming reverb and clanging noise to maintain a constant punk ethos in their indie rock music.
Accessible songwriting meets noisy, angular guitar-driven music on the new album from post-punk greats A Place To Bury Strangers.
The most popular of the former One Direction members has one immortal single already, but Harry’s House shows that Styles’ album-length efforts can be very worthwhile for the first time. No longer pasting in sounds from rock music past but truly integrating them in a pop-friendly and singular way, this album is strong throughout and buoyed by multiple great singles as well.
The sub-genre of nu-metal, often considered one of the most universally hated sounds out there, has made a substantial comeback in recent years. Who is better to stand atop the nu-metal pile that the band that pioneered the sound?
Meshuggah are credited with the invention of “djent,” a form of thrashy technical metal characterized by extremely downtuned guitars and progressive mathematically precise rhythmic patterns. On album #9, this Swedish group has lost none of their mighty prowess.
Another brand-new release comes from the minds of recent Chicago high school graduates, blending classic indie rock and post-punk influences into a work of their own. With jangly guitar interplay and a neat back-and-forth vocal style from the two guitarists, this instant classic marks the debut of another great band taking indie music to new heights.
The unequivocally great addition to today’s list is Wilco’s brilliant re-countrification in Cruel Country. This 21-track double album has the most country-influenced sound since the band’s first album, but subtle textures beyond the typical palette of the sometimes-maligned genre also recall their magnum opus Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
All albums are on streaming services!