Albums of 2026

[Ello Sailor]

[Ello Sailor]

New Slift is damn tasty.

Bot paged. SLIFT rules extremely hard.

[zeb]

New DIIV record called Zirp! due in October.

First single (and album opener) is a ripper.

[LetMeSleep]

Late getting to the new Neurosis but it's awesome.

[zeb]

Only halfway through the Phoebe Bridgers record but it is spectacular.

[Rangi Guy]

Royal Blood has a new album - DEAD COMPANY out 13th November

[Chris_H_2]

Only halfway through the Phoebe Bridgers record but it is spectacular.

i thought that first single sucked, and that that was a bad harbinger of the rest of the album. but i'm pleasantly surprised; it has almost an ambient feel to it. i just wish that she didn't have so many contributors (it's hard to keep track).

[oasisfan35]

Only halfway through the Phoebe Bridgers record but it is spectacular.

i thought that first single sucked, and that that was a bad harbinger of the rest of the album. but i'm pleasantly surprised; it has almost an ambient feel to it. i just wish that she didn't have so many contributors (it's hard to keep track).

Spoiler: show

Phoebe Bridgers – vocals, vocal arranger, acoustic guitar (1-3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14), bass synthesizer (5), synthesizer (6, 10, 14, 16), organ (6, 16), piano (12), bass guitar (14), vocoder (14)

Jack Antonoff – synthesizer (1-3, 5-10, 14), programming (2, 14), drums (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14), electric guitar (2-9, 11, 14), vocoder (2, 3, 6-9, 14), drum machine (2-10, 14, 15), sound design (3, 6-9, 12), acoustic guitar (3, 5, 7), baritone guitar (3), bass guitar (5, 7, 14), banjo (5, 6, 9), harmonica (7, 9), percussion (9, 13), strings (10), whistle (10), piano (14)

Ethan Gruska – piano (1-4, 8-10, 15), synthesizer (1-10, 12-15), sound design (1-9, 11, 12), vocoder (1, 7, 9), programming (2), drum machine (2, 7), electric guitar (3, 5), organ (3, 11, 15), bass guitar (3, 7, 13), vocals (5), pump organ (7), banjo (11), percussion (13), whistle (15)

Caroline Shaw – vocal arranger, vocals (2-10, 14, 16), viola (5, 6, 9)
Rob Moose – strings (1-4, 6, 8, 9, 14-16), string arranger (1-4, 6, 8, 9, 14-16)
Tony Berg – acoustic guitar (1), electric guitar (2, 3, 14), bass guitar (2), electric sitar (2), banjo (13)
Blake Mills – synth guitar (1), synthesizer (2), upright bass (3), acoustic guitar (10, 15), bass guitar (10), tenor guitar (10)
Greg? Leisz – pedal steel guitar (1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14)
Bo Burnham – vocals (1, 5, 11)
Jon Brion – synthesizer (1), electric guitar (13)
Alex G – additional vocals (2), drums (2), piano (3), synthesizer (4, 6, 7, 10, 14), drum machine (6, 10), acoustic guitar (8), vocoder (8)
Christian Lee Hutson – acoustic guitar (2-4, 9), piano (4), mandocello (4, 15), baritone guitar (5), banjo (8), electric guitar (14), 12-string acoustic guitar (15)

Chris Thile – mandolin (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11)
Marshall Vore – drums (2, 3, 8, 13, 14), percussion (2)
Harrison Whitford – electric guitar (2, 14), 12-string guitar (2, 10), baritone guitar (4)
Will Maclellan – programming (2), drum machine (2, 7, 10)
Lucy Dacus – vocals (2, 7)
Julien Baker – vocals (2, 7), synthesizer (7)
Nate Walcott – trumpet (2, 13)
Sebastian Steinberg – upright bass (2)
Benny Bock – synthesizer (3, 7—10, 15), piano (10, 15), organ (10)
Bobby Hawk – strings (3, 5, 7, 10)
Maria Taylor – vocals (3, 9, 15)
Son-John Johnson[a] – vocals (3, 14)
Jeroen Vrijhoef – vocals (3, 15)
Gabe Noel – sarangi (3), cello (14), upright bass (14)
Nick Zinner – electric guitar (3)
Jackson Bridgers – vocals (3)
Jim Keltner – drums (4)
Kane Ritchotte – drums (5, 7)
Justin K Broadrick /Jesu – electric guitar (5)
Mike Kinsella – electric guitar (5)
Nickel Creek (Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins) – violin (7, 14), mandolin (7, 14), acoustic guitar (7, 14)
CJ Camerieri – horn (8, 15), french horn (11), brass (14)
Tim Carr – drums (10)
Meg Duffy – electric guitar (10)
Conor Oberst – harmonica (14)
Maxine – vocals (16)

[Chris_H_2]

Only halfway through the Phoebe Bridgers record but it is spectacular.

i thought that first single sucked, and that that was a bad harbinger of the rest of the album. but i'm pleasantly surprised; it has almost an ambient feel to it. i just wish that she didn't have so many contributors (it's hard to keep track).

Spoiler: show

Phoebe Bridgers – vocals, vocal arranger, acoustic guitar (1-3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14), bass synthesizer (5), synthesizer (6, 10, 14, 16), organ (6, 16), piano (12), bass guitar (14), vocoder (14)

Jack Antonoff – synthesizer (1-3, 5-10, 14), programming (2, 14), drums (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14), electric guitar (2-9, 11, 14), vocoder (2, 3, 6-9, 14), drum machine (2-10, 14, 15), sound design (3, 6-9, 12), acoustic guitar (3, 5, 7), baritone guitar (3), bass guitar (5, 7, 14), banjo (5, 6, 9), harmonica (7, 9), percussion (9, 13), strings (10), whistle (10), piano (14)

Ethan Gruska – piano (1-4, 8-10, 15), synthesizer (1-10, 12-15), sound design (1-9, 11, 12), vocoder (1, 7, 9), programming (2), drum machine (2, 7), electric guitar (3, 5), organ (3, 11, 15), bass guitar (3, 7, 13), vocals (5), pump organ (7), banjo (11), percussion (13), whistle (15)

Caroline Shaw – vocal arranger, vocals (2-10, 14, 16), viola (5, 6, 9)
Rob Moose – strings (1-4, 6, 8, 9, 14-16), string arranger (1-4, 6, 8, 9, 14-16)
Tony Berg – acoustic guitar (1), electric guitar (2, 3, 14), bass guitar (2), electric sitar (2), banjo (13)
Blake Mills – synth guitar (1), synthesizer (2), upright bass (3), acoustic guitar (10, 15), bass guitar (10), tenor guitar (10)
Greg?? Leisz – pedal steel guitar (1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14)
Bo Burnham – vocals (1, 5, 11)
Jon Brion – synthesizer (1), electric guitar (13)
Alex G – additional vocals (2), drums (2), piano (3), synthesizer (4, 6, 7, 10, 14), drum machine (6, 10), acoustic guitar (8), vocoder (8)
Christian Lee Hutson – acoustic guitar (2-4, 9), piano (4), mandocello (4, 15), baritone guitar (5), banjo (8), electric guitar (14), 12-string acoustic guitar (15)

Chris Thile – mandolin (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11)
Marshall Vore – drums (2, 3, 8, 13, 14), percussion (2)
Harrison Whitford – electric guitar (2, 14), 12-string guitar (2, 10), baritone guitar (4)
Will Maclellan – programming (2), drum machine (2, 7, 10)
Lucy Dacus – vocals (2, 7)
Julien Baker – vocals (2, 7), synthesizer (7)
Nate Walcott – trumpet (2, 13)
Sebastian Steinberg – upright bass (2)
Benny Bock – synthesizer (3, 7—10, 15), piano (10, 15), organ (10)
Bobby Hawk – strings (3, 5, 7, 10)
Maria Taylor – vocals (3, 9, 15)
Son-John Johnson[a] – vocals (3, 14)
Jeroen Vrijhoef – vocals (3, 15)
Gabe Noel – sarangi (3), cello (14), upright bass (14)
Nick Zinner – electric guitar (3)
Jackson Bridgers – vocals (3)
Jim Keltner – drums (4)
Kane Ritchotte – drums (5, 7)
Justin K Broadrick /Jesu – electric guitar (5)
Mike Kinsella – electric guitar (5)
Nickel Creek (Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins) – violin (7, 14), mandolin (7, 14), acoustic guitar (7, 14)
CJ Camerieri – horn (8, 15), french horn (11), brass (14)
Tim Carr – drums (10)
Meg Duffy – electric guitar (10)
Conor Oberst – harmonica (14)
Maxine – vocals (16)

yikes. i underestimated it.

[tree_]

it's funny she sounds so much like herself too though. very weird. like, you'd think with all that help they would've ended up in new territory

[Jorge]

I mean those are mostly hired musicians? Including orchestra players. What are we yikesing here.

[Jorge]

You guys would've had a conniption reading album credits in the 70s

[tragabigzanda]

Conor Oberst – harmonica (14)

[oasisfan35]

I mean those are mostly hired musicians? Including orchestra players. What are we yikesing here.

Apparently it was a lot for Chris to keep track of buzzkill.

[zeb]

It's not like she's going to play all the instruments herself, and it would be fun co-writing with all these talented musicians / collaborators.

I listened to it for a second time this morning, replayed a few of my early favourites and I'm definitely enjoying the vibe. So much of it sounds very Elliott Smith coded, thanks to Bridgers herself but also to Christian Lee Hutson's heavy involvement, and that is right up my alley.

Stands comfortably with her best work.

[epilogue]

One of the reasons I love Kyoto so much is that it's clearly inspired by Elliott Smith.

If this new record has a lot of ES on it, I'm in!

[Chris_H_2]

He died Joe. He’s not on this record.

[zeb]

One of the reasons I love Kyoto so much is that it's clearly inspired by Elliott Smith.

If this new record has a lot of ES on it, I'm in!

[zeb]

He died Joe. He’s not on this record.

But Jon Brion is!

[Chris_H_2]

He died Joe. He’s not on this record.

But Jon Brion is!