As we wrap up our six-day Winter Music Preview, we have arrived at one inescapable conclusion: 2026 is already a great year for music. What you’ve read is only the tip of the iceberg; we’ve covered nearly 200 albums, but we’ve heard nearly a hundred more, all waiting patiently to be announced and released.
The dynamic contrast of the albums in our blended category is incredible: from the acoustic guitar of an album that translates Autechre to a different realm, to the volcanic explosion of a double album from Zu and everything in-between. Whether you’re snowed in or happily enjoying a weekend on the slopes, we hope you’ve enjoyed our musical introduction to the new year. Happy 2026 to all of our readers!
We start with a wild one, something that shouldn’t exist, but does. Autechre Guitar is exactly what it sounds like, a translation of Autechre’s music into the acoustic realm. The ambitious project comes to us from Shane Parish, whose bold experiment works, enabling listeners to appreciate the electronic act in an all-new way. If the ten-track album is a success, one might imagine a follow-up delving into a very deep catalog of cuts (Palilalia, February 27). Huw Marc Bennett offers a modern take on the traditional music of South Wales, infusing classic melodies with folk and rock. Cân y Gwartheg’ (Drover’s Song) is the first single from Heol Las, an ode to cattle drivers who use flutes instead of sticks to steer their flocks (Albert’s Favourites, March 8).
A diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s upset the applecart for 54-year-old Pullman member Tim Barnes, prompting the quintet to return to the studio after a quarter century away. Featuring members of Tortoise, Rex and Come, the band is billed as a supergroup, applying their superpowers to III, a treatise on the ebb and flow of time (Western Vinyl, January 9). Partially influenced by Tortoise, The Early is offering the one-two punch of an EP and an album, each featuring instinctive rock improvisations on percussion and guitar. The Cusp EP was released December 3, highlighted by an appearance from Patrick Shiroishi on “Chopaghetti”; the album I Want to Be Ready is released February 27, both on Island House Recordings.
Rose City Band’s Barry Walker Jr. understands the appeal of wide open spaces. Paleo Sol is a patient, expressive record, marked by the languid interplay of pedal steel, bass and drums. The music is like a long, expansive prairie, a vista of possibilities entering the ears (Thrill Jockey, January 30). Not one, but two pedal steel artists unite on Langeleik. Joe Harvey-Whyte and Geir Sundstøl hail from London and Norway, but share a collaborative spirit and find complementary tones. The set is centered around “Rørvikelva”, a spoken word piece by Ivar Orvedal that deepens the emotional impact of the entire LP (Hubro, January 30). Want more pedal steel? Sam Wenc‘s Language At An Angle is thick, immersive, filled with improvisatory and exploratory textures that touch upon experimental music and drone (Lobby Art Editions, January 30). Partially improvised yet accessible, Daniel Decker‘s Deep Red Taupe has a jazz sensibility but a rock tone; the artist calls it “krautjazz” (January 30).
Barry Adamson‘s SCALA!!! is a super-fun, retro score to the documentary of the same name, chronicling the history of a London underground cinema. As such, one can expect a mix of jazz swing, spy themes and slinky noir. Some may remember Adamson as part of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; he seems like a good seed here (Mute, January 16). Jazz, rock, trip-hop and film noir mingle on We Want WAAN, which is as playful as a monkey riding a tortoise. The wild Dutch duo WAAN recruits numerous guest stars to create a widescreen feel – there’s even a surprising rap track – but the production is anchored by saxophone and keyboard (Sonar Kollektiv, January 23). Natural Magic‘s II is psychedelic, trancelike and slightly electronic. The duo’s second album is stuffed with various timbres, from shoegaze to dub, and serves as a requiem for producer Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch (Optima Music, January 30). Pianist Tigran Hamasayan pulls out all the stops on Manifeste, a dramatic album that often sounds like an action film score, mixing jazz and progressive rock in equal measure. War Time Poem is the first salvo (Naïve, February 6).
As we’ve previously reviewed the artist YATTA, it’s important to point out that Yatta! comes from a different source: the Dutch quartet YĪN YĪN. As likely to delve into disco funk as they are to segue into surf-rock, this band never fails to groove; and the black-and-white cookie version of the LP proves they are visually playful. (It’s easier to make vinyl look like a cookie than a yin-yang symbol, but a cookie is more delicious!) The album is about balance, as expressed in the opening monologue (Glitterbeat, January 23).
Six O’Matic is a rocking, jamming unit that is led by Ryan Schwartz. Ascension Plan is one of the earliest releases of 2026, already out January 2, the EP about “finding the beauty within chaos,” which sounds like a good recipe for the new year. The bonus instrument: electronic bagpipes! (Monkey Corner Records). Billing itself as “art prog jazz,” energetic German sextet Kabasse does indeed cover all the bases. Heavy Cloud is the infectious lead single from their album About Sitting On Fences, due this February on Kapitän Platte. Also mingling jazz and rock is saxophonist Ilhan Ersahin, whose Istanbul Sessions: Mahelle is packed with live energy, thanks to the expansion to a rocking quartet. Huge bonus for collectors: the album is preceded by the release of two double-A 45s (Nublu, January 16).
And now for the heavy stuff: the mighty Zu returns with a massive double LP, dropping in only three days! Ferrum Sidereum is “iron from the stars,” or meteoric ore, literal post-rock. Tracks such as “Golgotha” give away their weight by their titles; place the needle anywhere and it may jump! Could this be their magnum opus? (House of Mythology, January 9). Post-metalists The Proximity Effect, now a quartet, return with The Last Sound Revelation, preceded by the single Source of Frequency (Argonauta/Octopus Rising, January 16). Turpentine Valley‘s rocking VEUEL will be released March 6, but for now we can enjoy the heavy sounds of List.
Richard Allen
a closer listen 