2026 In Review (so far): Best Album From Each Month
2026 has reached and surpassed the halfway point, bringing with it an abundance of new music. I've catalogued my favorite album releases from each month.
January pick: Joseph, Closer to Happy
Release date: January 30
Genres: indie pop, folk pop
Favorite songs: “Bye and Bye,” “I Believe in Myself,” “Sleeping with the Light On,” and “Chills”
Indie-folk sisters Natalie and Meegan Closner return with Joseph’s fifth album, Closer to Happy, which also serves as their first full-length release since the departure of their other sister, Allison Closner, in 2024. Closer to Happy proves that this former trio still has plenty to say and plenty to experience as a star-making duo.
February pick: Mumford & Sons, Prizefighter
Release date: February 20
Genres: indie folk, modern folk rock
Favorite songs: “Here (with Chris Stapleton),” Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels),” “Stay,” and “Badlands (with Gracie Abrams)”
Millennial favorites, Mumford & Sons, released their sixth album, Prizefighter, less than a year after their fifth album, Rushmere, was released last March, riding the Noah Kahan-led resurgence of the “stomp-and-holler” music movement they helped shape, define, and popularize in the early 2010s. Prizefighter is a shining example of why Mumford & Sons is synonymous as the leading men of the indie-folk genre for an entire generation of music listeners.
March pick: Harry Styles, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
Release date: March 6
Genres: alt-pop, dance-pop
Favorite songs: “American Girls,” “Taste Back,” “Dance No More,” and “Carla’s Song”
After an award-winning run with Harry’s House and a record-breaking Love On Tour, Harry Styles returned with his most experimental project yet: his fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. As evident with this latest record, Harry is never one to miss out on a chance to surprise his audience and take his talents in completely unexpected directions, proving he’ll continue to be a fresh and fun superstar in years to come.
April pick: Noah Kahan, The Great Divide
Release date: April 24
Genres: folk rock, indie folk
Favorite songs: “End of August,” “Downfall,” “Dashboard,” and “23”
After finding massive success with 2022’s Stick Season, Noah Kahan has made a triumphant return with his fourth album, The Great Divide. True to form, his soulful, heartrending lyrics recite one story after another, coming alive with the folksy instrumentation that vividly spells each song out like a movie scene, depicting real-life images of strained relationships, crippling mental health, and claustrophobic susceptibilities in small-town New England.
May pick: MUNA, Dancing On The Wall
Release date: May 8
Genres: alt-pop, electropop
Favorite songs: “It Gets So Hot,” “So What,” “Mary Jane,” and “Buzzkiller”
Indie superstars MUNA careened back onto the streaming soundscape with their fourth full-length release, Dancing On The Wall, featuring a palette of funky, danceable synthpop with searing lyrics burning bright with unflinching honesty.
June pick: Olivia Rodrigo, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
Release date: June 12
Genres: pop rock, alternative pop
Favorite songs: “stupid song,” “maggots for brains,” “the cure,” and “cigarette smoke”
Olivia Rodrigo’s highly-anticipated third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, has not disappointed in the slightest, quickly becoming my favorite record of the year. It is pure pop perfection, packaged like a present and gifting fans a plethora of new discoveries each listen as it tracks the trajectory of a romantic relationship, starting with euphoric highs and ending in devastating lows that are sure to hit the heart of every listener.
July pick: Suki Waterhouse, Loveland
Release date: July 10
Genres: retro pop, indie pop rock
Favorite songs: “Back in Love,” “Notting Hill,” “Jukebox,” and “Weirdo”
Multi-talented Suki Waterhouse released Loveland, her third studio album, earlier this month, and it is a catchy, humorous, and heartfelt amalgamation about the pitfalls and triumphs of love in its many forms.
If you liked any of the above music, you can find a curated playlist with all seven albums here:
WRITTEN BY
Mary
I was a very shy kid, so I found my solace in writing, where I could say whatever I wanted to a blank page. This hobby turned into a passion, which turned into a lifeline, which is (hopefully) turning into a career! I am mostly inspired by poetic lyrics in songs I repeatedly listen to, descriptive language in novels I cannot put down, and scenes from movies or television that just won't stop playing in my head.
