New Album Roundup - Summer 2026

New Album Roundup - Summer 2026

Ok, we are deep into Autumn now, and as I have been absent from the blog all summer, I still have some summer busuness to take care of, and that is to talk about some of the new music I have been listening to and enjoying throughout the summer months. Once again, there were many very good albums, but relatively few real standouts. I listened to about 40 or so new albums that came out this summer (July, August, and September), and these are the ones I thought were the best and most notable.   

Quivira - Quivira

Quivira is a new Prog band from Kansas, USA, and their impressive debut self-titled album just dropped in September. And perhaps somewhat appropriately, their sound and style is somewhat reminiscent of, well, Kansas (the band), at least on some songs. Led by Lisa LaRue (composer, keyboards, programming) and John Baker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and featuring Jake Livgren (Emerald City Council) on vocals (nephew of Kansas legend Kerry Livgren) and a guest appearance from Joe Deninzon (current Kansas violinist), furthering the Kansas connection. They have a grand Symphonic Prog sound, and mix in historical themes with elements of classical, jazz, and classic rock. The album consists of 11 tracks (66 min), is predominantly instrumental (vocals on only 4 of the 11 tracks), and features sensational keyboard and guitar work, as well as prominent violin on multiple tracks. The theme of the album focuses on the story of pre-Kansas "Quivira", the native American villages that Coronado believed held gold. The album opens with majestic classical themes amid choir vocalizations to set the stage leading into a glorious symphonic prog track worthy of Big Big Train. The vocal tracks are where the Kansas sound is most apparent, with grand melodic passages and themes. The instrumental tracks take on a more proggy and even jazz fusiony style, with dynamic, dazzling solos over recurring piano riffs. Most of the songs flow from the keyboards, starting with piano leading to great instrumental interplay, great melodies, and virtuoso playing. One minor complaint is that they don't have a drummer and all of the drums on the album are programmed. Hopefully, they will have live drums on their next album. Just a fabulous album of glorious instrumental and vocal symphonic prog. Best Tracks: Nothing is Everything, Carved From the Sun, Kicking Rocks, The Benefits of Breathing Quietly, Quivira Bound. Rating: 4 stars  

Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery - The Roaring Waves

Two legendary Prog rock guitarists named Steve, Hackett (Genesis, Steve Hackett Band) and Rothery (Marillion) team up for this album of wonderful instrumental Prog. But this isn't just two guitarists jamming over basic chords, trading licks and trying to outdo each other, no these are composition-first pieces, creating a profoundly cinematic sound, atmospheric and melodic, where the guitar lines are there to enhance and embellish the songs. Great guitar work to be sure, but all in service to the music and mood of the pieces. The album overall (7 tracks, 45 min.) follows the theme of the elemental power of the sea, with each track exploring some aspect of the ocean and its surroundings, covering many different musical styles and tempos. Opening with The Storm, a dramatic cinematic piece, and then moving through various more acoustic, melancholic, mystical, intriguing, and delightful tracks throughout, and closing with an uncharacteristically rousing and joyful groove with Pacific Coast Highway (with Hackett adding some bluesy harmonica), Hackett and Rothery perfectly compliment each other, interweaving delicate and tastefully melodic interplay that raises each track to another level. Overall, a great album of melodic instrumental prog from these two masters, and one that does not need vocals at all. Best Tracks: Red Dragon, The Roaring Waves, K-129, The Black Sea, Pacific Coast Highway. Rating: 4 stars

Pattern-Seeking Animals - Grimalkin

This latest album, their 6th, from PSA (which originally began as on offshoot of Spock's Beard and features current and former members Ted Leonard, Jimmy Keegan, Dave Meros, and John Boegehold), is another great album from the band, which has emerged in recent years as one of the premier modern melodic progressive rock bands, mixing a symphonic prog style with classic rock and pop sensibilities. And this may be their best of their most recent releases, going back to Only Passing Through, with great songs, melodies, cinematic soundscapes, glorious instrumental sections, and emotionally powerful themes and lyrics. Starts strongly with Maybe All a Dream, a quirky. powerful track featuring flute, mellotron, and guitar. Jade Sky is another gem, with an engaging groove and violin highlights. Then comes the surprisingly powerful, deeply moving, sad, but profoundly beautiful ballad, Things I Don't Do, was not expecting this, but exquisite. Break Away is big and bold with great synth work and instrumental flourishes. Slowly Falls the Falling man is the longest track and features several different sections and styles, beginning with a chamber wind ensemble moving into more rocking and proggy sections. One of the things I love about PSA is that their songs are filled with numerous great musical ideas that are always interesting and intriguing, making for great listening experiences. Best Tracks: Jade Sky, Things I Don't Do, Maybe All a Dream, Break Away, Slowly Falls the Flying Man. Rating: 4 stars 

The Bardic Depths - Some Things Are Worth Remembering

The 4th and final album from this underrated prog collective that emphasizes storytelling along with their virtuoso playing is definitely their very best. Led by multi-instrumentalist/composer Dave Bandana, with lyrics from American historian Brad Birzer, and featuring the great Peter Jones (Cyan, Tiger Moth Tales, Camel, Red Bazaar) on vocals and sax, the band creates luscious symphonic Prog, with grand melodies and themes, intelligent lyrics, and great vocals and instrumental passages. The album has 8 tracks (49 min), their sound mostly features a gentler, more pastoral, melodic type of Prog, along the lines of Big Big Train, Camel, or The Moody Blues, with marvelous soundscapes and instrumental passages, but they can also bring a more rockin' vibe at times as well. The magnificent centerpiece, October Sun, has everything you could want, anthemic melodies, great harmony vocals, and each band member gets to shine with fantastic solos, but then, every track is a gem. Brilliant album that you can just immerse yourself in, and is right up there among the very best of the year. Best Tracks: October Sun, From Empty Trees, Arribabok, Fallen Leaves, A View, Rewind. Rating: 4.5 stars 

Sara Bareilles - Good Grief

Another absolutely wonderful album, her 7th and first since the fantastic Amidst the Chaos in 2019. The theme of this album is dealing with loss and grief and various aspects of that, but it is not all sad and weepy, as it explores celebrations and inspiration and how one deals with adversity, and is intended to provide some comfort or catharsis to those who have navigated through grief. Most importantly, it is a profoundly beautiful and heartfelt album of songs from one of our greatest female singer-songwriters. It is an expansive album (14 songs, 58 minutes), and most of the songs feature a sparse, stripped-down, but effective, arrangement, with piano or acoustic guitar and bass, which enables the listener to focus more intently on the beautiful melodies, insightful lyrics, and Sara's wonderful voice. Regardless of the subject matter, the poetry of Sara's writing shines throughout, as well as the beauty of the songs. Although mostly slow to mid-tempo and somewhat somber, but with soaring vocals, such as the moving opener, Home, the Orbison-like Still Crying, and the powerful Heartland, there are also more upbeat, lighter songs, such as Capsize Me, the sardonic Nervous Breakdown, and the pop lushness of Idiot Heart. The album then finishes off with some of the most moving and beautiful tracks in Say Leave, Salt Then Sour Then Sweet (with Brandi Carlisle), and Forever, which seems like the natural end of the album, but then comes Wind is the Weather, a moody, atmospheric finish that just feels right. And whether or not you are dealing with grief or care about the theme at all, it is a brilliant album from start to finish. Best Tracks: Forever, Home, Just a Kid, Say Leave, Nervous Breakdown, Heartland, Capsize Me. Rating: 4.5

Phideaux Xavier - AutoMoto Animus

Veteran US multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and apparently, TV director, returns after a 6-year hiatus, backed by numerous guest stars, with this very enjoyable album. It features a mixture of big AOR, power pop, and Prog in full, lavish arrangements that really make the songs shine (8 tracks, 43 min., including an epic-length album closer). Great sound, vibe, vocal and instrumental arrangements throughout, with mystery, keen lyrics, and intriguing soundscapes. Bold, vibrant songs that all fit together to tell some kind of story? Maybe? Not sure, but doesn't matter cause it sounds great. One minor letdown is that the album ends a bit weakly, with the slow, drawn-out story song Legend of Mary Jo, which is a fine song in itself, but in dragging it out to near 15 minutes in length, it wears out its welcome with much repetition. Although it almost redeems itself with a great exhilarating proggy section near the end, that doesn't come until 10 minutes in, at which I'd already tired of the song, as it just doesn't justify its runtime. But other than that nitpick, a mostly great album. Best Tracks: Do What You Will, Hey Humanity, Driving to Destruction, Siren i the Storm, Enigmatic Terminus. Rating: 3.5 stars

Lalu - A Mythmaker's Demise

5th album from this versatile French Prog band, following their wonderful previous album, The Fish Who Wanted to be King (2023). Led by keyboardist Vivien Lalu, the band features a cool prog sound mixing in classic, hard, and alternative rock, and jazz elements, producing a variety of styles throughout the tracks. Great keyboard work, ultra-cool grooves and rhythms (Simon Phillips on Drums), and effective vocals and storytelling from Martin Lemar. Although it doesn't quite reach the highs of their previous album, this is still a really good album with lots of great stuff going on, and shows the continued development and versatility of the band. Best Tracks: Tears of the Muse, I am the One, Mayacama, Learning to Fly, A Drop of Water, Fhloston Paradise. Rating: 3.5 stars 

Bear Ghost - Tiny Hitman

Bear Ghost is a decidedly strange U.S. band that plays what they call Adventure Rock, a high-energy, theatrical style that combines progressive rock arrangements, catchy pop melodies, heavy guitar riffs, and quirky humor. Fun and lively, they fuse intricate musicianship, melodies, and song structure to deliver a unique sound. This is their 3rd album, containing 10 short songs (37 min), and its a wild, adventurous affair. Taking influences from vintage 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's music hall styles, adding modern touches and a twisted Danny Elfman-like oddness and a frenetic energy, they at times sound something like an over-caffeinated The Dear Hunter or Dirt Poor Robins. And although I really like and admire their energy, creativity, adventurousness, and musicianship, they can also sometimes be a bit too much to take. For me, their frenetic, disjointed style is best enjoyed in small doses, like 4-6 song EPs. I listened to this album multiple times, and every time I really enjoyed it at first, the first 4-5 songs or so, but after that just started to lose interest and wasn't enjoying it, and I think it was the style more than the songs themselves that just were exhausting and became tiresome. The first 5 songs make for a perfect EP, great stuff, but then had had enough. Thus, although some great stuff here, can't rate it better than just good, as on the whole, its not something I will come back to often. Best Tracks: Monster Guts, In Our Image, Hearty of Five, New Kids. Rating: 3 stars
   
Haken - In a Fever Dream (EP)

Prog metal heroes Haken return with a 5-song EP that highlights an intriguing more atmospheric and melodic sound amidst their prog metal bombast. Although I have not been a fan of any of Haken's recent albums, this EP shows some interesting developments, most notably an eerie atmosphere and dreamy melodies building to soaring vocals. I can only describe it as a prog metal version of The Pineapple Thief, as it has those subtly cool vibes and gossamer melodies with undercurrents of darkness that Bruce Soord does so well, but now punctuated with heavier Prog Metal outbursts. For me, this is a step up for the band, as I adore the Pineapple Thief sound, and thus this style is a big improvement, and I enjoyed this EP much more than their other recent albums. Again, for me, there is still a bit too much of the heavier metal cliches present here (which is why TPT is still better at this), but this is a positive development for the band, although not sure if this is a temporary departure or their direction forward. Best Tracks: Eclipsed by You, Bleeding Sky. Rating: 3 stars
 
Pure Reason Revolution - Terrifying Angels

UK prog band that features atmospheric melodic prog with great vocals and harmonies. They have gone darker and heavier with this album, and like many other prog bands now, have incorporated and embraced much more metal (the plague of modern prog) into their sound, much to the detriment of the songs. There is still much to like here, as the atmospheric, melodic sections and vocals are quite strong, but they are at some point invariably contaminated with some form of metal intrusion. The longer tracks fare best, as the melodic sections get the space to stretch out and create some wonderful atmospheres before having to compete with the metal outbursts. Thus, still a good album, but not as strong as their previous, Coming Up to Consciousness (2024), as the reliance on metal cliches detract rather than add to their sound. Best Tracks: Terrifying Angels, Black Arrow Acrobats, Below Radiance. Rating: 3 stars 

Ian Neal - This Gemlike Flame

New album from this UK multi-instrumentalist Prog artist that plays all the instruments himself has garnered acclaim in the Progosphere lately. That is because this is his most accomplished album and he specializes in sounds of classic 70' prog, especially mid-period Genesis (and some Anthony Phillips). Using vintage instruments from the period, he recreates the sound and style of Genesis, particularly 1976 to 1980 (Trick of the Tail to Duke), with lots of Banksian keyboards and Hackett (and Phillips) guitars. It's all instrumental, so no vocals, but it sounds great and creates some marvelous soundscapes. However, it still seems that something is missing here, as most of the songs feel more like a collection of intros, interludes, and extended instrumental passages for something more substantial that never quite develops. It seems to be missing the heart of the songs, memorable melodies and themes that made these sounds something special. Still sounds great, but a bit lacking in truly memorable compositions. Rating: 3 stars

Green Desert Tree - Fighting Dragons

Second album from this German Prog band from Berlin that features a classic Prog style, reminiscent of the 70's classic bands in the Genesis/Yes camp, but also mixes in some more modern prog influences (Steven Wilson, etc.) as well. Opens with dazzling keyboards throughout the instrumental Overture that firmly lays down the directions the band is heading, which leads into the more rocking The Storyteller. Overall, this album does their influences proud and is a quite good album, with great instrumental work, strong melodies, and great vocals. However, there are some lulls and dull sections, and at times they struggle to extend beyond their influences to create something unique of their own. Rating: 3 stars
   
 

Deep Purple - Splat!

Surprisingly strong album from the latest incarnation of this legendary Rock band, almost 60 years after formation. This is definitely throwback classic hard rock, in the style they created way back in the early seventies, with crunchy guitars, swirling organ, and dazzling leads. Nothing new here, they mostly stick to the basics, with just a few modern touches thrown in, but overall just do a fine job of recreating their rockin' glory years. Rating: 3.5

 

Weezer - Weezer (Gold Album)

A strong return to form for Weezer after various genre and experimental forays in recent years. This seems to be their response to the criticisms of some of those other recent albums, and which they directly address here in C.E.O and some other tracks, as they get back to the kind of music that made them popular. They stick to the basics here, short, punchy, melodic indie rock, with crunchy guitar riffs, sardonic lyrics, and a fun alt-rock punch fans want to hear. May not be a classic, but quite enjoyable throughout. Rating: 3 stars.
 
 

Neil Young - Second Song

Gentle, laid-back, mostly acoustic entry from the legendary Young. Old Man Neil takes another look at his present and past, and unlike his rantings about things he doesn't like in his previous album (2025's Talkin' to the Trees), he's mostly appreciative this time around, with this pleasant and enjoyable album of folky meanderings. Neil takes his time here, slow and easy, with stripped down acoustic guitar and piano-based tracks and soothing melodies. To be sure, this album is only for those that are already fans, as his aging, deteriorating voice will not attract many newcomers. But for those that relish the likes of Harvest Moon, Prairie Wind, or his other acoustic forays, there's a good bit to like here as well. Rating: 3 stars
   

Hats Off Gentlemen, It's Adequate - Parallel Lives

Hit and miss album from this eclectic UK prog/alt-rock band that features a sort of electronic art-rock prog. Half of a potentially great album, as the title track and the instrumentals are fantastic, as well as a couple other good songs, but the rest, not so much. Musically and instrumentally quite appealing, but the monotonic, talk-singing style really detract from most of the vocal songs, albeit with some clever themes and lyrics. Still good and worth checking out overall, but the low points drag it down. Rating: 3 

 

Improvement movement - Your Perfect Real Life

Third album from this progressive/indie pop band from Atlanta, GA, that features a mixture of smooth, sweet pop (with luscious harmony vocals) and quirky, edgy, angular alt-pop with jazz and prog influences, and an occasional Steely Dan vibe. A bit hit and miss, but some really nice tracks, including great opener, Still Cold. Rating: 3 stars.

  

Sykofant - Red Sun Leaves

Sophomore album from this Norwegian Prog band that features atmospheric, space-rock/prog. Their main influence is obvious as they borrow generously from Pink Floyd's sound and style playbook. May be a bit too derivative at times, but they go all out and do it very well, and add some more original touches, creating a quite good album in the Floyd vein. Rating: 3 stars

The Fierce and the Dead - Regional Theater

5th album from this eclectic, quirky band of undetermined genre, considered sort of post-rock/prog. Unfortunately, they have taken a prog metal detour with this album and it tends to undermine all the other cool elements here, dragging the album down to mediocrity. The results are not really bad, but just OK, and not very interesting. There are only 2 tracks here, Somehow and Superbia, that I would ever want to hear again, as they have a cool melodic energy with nice vocals, and are not sullied (much) by the grueling metal elements. Rating: 2.5. 
 
A few other albums from notable artists that I was NOT a fan of:

Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues
The Strokes - Reality Awaits
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Alien Metal
Mastodon - Marrow Deep

BB’s Rating scale:

1ó – Terrible, torturous to have to listen to

1.5ó - Poor, not worth your time

2 ó – Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall

2.5ó – Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either

3ó – Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often

3.5ó – Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall

4ó – Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again

4.5ó – Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece 

5ó – A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time

Well, that's it for me for now. What new albums did you enjoy over the summer months? Let me know your picks in the comments.

 

New Album Roundup - Spring 2026

New Album Roundup - Spring 2026 

Hey, here we are in Summer already, but there's been a lot of great music already released so far this year. Here is my rundown of the best new albums I heard this Spring. I listened to about 50 new albums in this time and these were the most notable. All of these were released over the past three months (April-June 2026).  

Albion - In the Month of May I

This 2nd album from Albion provides more dynamic symphonic progressive folk, mixing in traditional Irish and Celtic themes with elements of Symphonic Prog and metal. Beautiful melodies and vocals, great arrangements and instrumental prowess. This album leans even more into the folkier aspects than the first album, with more acoustic work and the use of heavier guitar riffs limited to just a couple tracks. Their prominent use of flute and prog folk arrangements invites inevitable comparison with Jethro Tull, and although there are similarities Albion has their own unique sound and styler. Although this album doesn't quite reach the heights of their fantastic debut, Lakesongs of Elbid (2024), it is a great follow-up and most worthy successor, with great songs and dynamic instrumentation. A special treat for those that crave a mix of folk and Prog. Best Tracks: Eldest, Down with The Hero, Calan Mai, She is the River, Cherry Hill. Rating: 4 stars

Magenta - Tarot

This veteran symphonic Prog band led by multi-instrumentalist-songwriter Rob Reed and featuring the wonderful vocals of Cristina Booth returns with their first album of all-new material since 2020's Master of Illusion. With this release, the band looks back toward their earlier days (and 1st album, Revolutions, 2001), with what is almost an homage to the symphonic prog style of the classic prog band Renaissance. The songs were written specifically to feature Christina's vocals and the neo-classical prog style of Renaissance, with orchestration and keyboard and bass-dominant arrangements, but with an uptempo rock sensibility. The album is structured with 6 main tracks (4-10 min each) based on Tarot cards separated by very short acoustic or orchestral Etudes (20-30 sec each). It makes for a very entertaining album (although the Etudes seem too short to have much impact). Magenta remains among the elite of the modern prog bands. Best Tracks: The World, Strength, The Lovers, The Empress, Tarot. Rating: 4 stars

Brass Camel - Brass Camel

This unique Canadian Alt-rock band combines many different elements (including classic rock, prog, funk, blues, power pop, and even some glam) into a wonderful mix of styles to create something new. There are glimpses of everything from The Beatles, Little Feat, Queen, Badfinger, 10 cc, Rush, The Black Crowes, and maybe even some Alice Cooper, all mixed together for some rousingly good songs and arrangements, that provides many quirks and surprises. Fun album that sounds both somewhat familiar, yet very different and unique. Best Tracks: Why Bother, Ice Cold, Catch Us If You Can, Last Call, Everybody Loves a Scandal. Rating: 3.5 stars 
 
 

Yes - Aurora

The current version of Yes (Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, and Jay Schellen) returns with their 2nd album with this lineup (follow-up to 2023's Mirror to the Sky) and 24th album overall, and delivers a solid album that both honors the past but also tries to move in some new directions. In some ways this is sort of like Yes-lite, or DAD-Yes, as the songs have a more gentle sound and style, less rock, more acoustic and more orchestration, but the songs are generally good, just with a somewhat different mood and feel. Steve Howe's guitar, and especially acoustic guitar work shines throughout, as well as various vocals and harmonies, and rich arrangements. Along with the tracks that try to recapture that Yes sound, there are some departures, such as the more classical and orchestrated Ariadne, the funkier rocker All Hands on Deck, and the fun, poppy Jambustin'. No, this is not Yes from their classic period, but how could it be? That was 50 years ago. This is a fine album that shows where the band is today, and it is quite good. Best Tracks: Countermovement, All Hands on Deck, Ariadne, Jambustin', Watching the River Roll. Ratng: 3.5 stars

Death Cab For Cutie - I Built You a Tower

This 11th album from longtime US Indie rock band DCFC, led by introspective singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, shows the band in top form, with some of their most beautiful and poignant songs, and a wonderful album. The songs chronicle the emotional turmoil following the end of Gibbard's marriage, but are beautifully rendered. From the stark, simple beauty of Stone Over Water and Full of Stars to the punkish energy of Envy of birds, to the two different songs both titled I Built You a Tower, it all works beautifully. Simple song structures, but great melodies and vocals, clever, insightful, emotional lyrics, and wonderfully effective arrangements. This one hits hard and stays with you with beautifully heartbreaking songs. Best Tracks: Stone Over Water, Riptides, Envy the Birds, I Built You a Tower, Trap Door, Full of Stars. Rating: 4 stars

Elder - Through Zero

8th album from this US Heavy Prog band that has really developed from their early days of psych-rock and stoner metal into a premier heavy Prog band. Their previous album, Innate Passage (2022) was one of the best of the year, and they just keep going from there. A great Prog sound that is atmospheric and complex, but also quite heavy at times (without indulging metal cliches) while also maintaining a spirited rockin' groove, kind of like a heavier, harder-rocking Pink Floyd. Their constantly moving rhythm section with interweaving keyboard lines keeps the tempo brisk and energetic, providing the perfect foundation for the guitar riffs laid on top, which is also surprisingly bright and uplifting. Great collaborative instrumental work that meshes together well throughout, effective vocals, and quite melodic and atmospheric despite the heaviness. It all works extremely well on multiple levels. All the tracks are great (6 songs, each 6-11 min), but the album really takes off from the title track on offering an exhilarating album experience. Best Tracks: Through Zero, Strata, Sight Unseen, Blighted Age. Rating: 4.5 stars

The Lemon Twigs - Look For Your Mind

Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario are back with more shimmering 60's style pop-rock, following up on their previous album, A Dream is All We Know (2024), this time narrowing in on the early to mid-60's sounds and styles of bands such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkel. With their beautiful harmony vocals and meticulously crafted arrangements, these talented musicians recreate classic 60's pop sounds. But although it all sounds great, is extremely well-done, and I wanted to really like this, I just don't. Something just seems a bit off here. Rather than just be influenced or inspired by those classic bands, these songs come off more as imitations, or worse yet, replication of these sounds and styles, rather than original songs. And the songs themselves are just not as good as the originals, just dressed up in this 60's sheen. I know this band receives much high praise for these tributes, but other than the 'Oh, this sounds just like that' factor, I just don't really enjoy these songs that much and they don't withstand repeated listens, at least for me. Best Tracks: Nothin' But You, Bring You Down. Rating: 3 stars

Dodgy - Hello Beautiful
Dodgy is a band from the UK that started as a successful Britpop band throughout the 1990's, have broken up and reformed a few times since then, and are now back with their first new album in 10 years, and it is fabulous, and one of the best finds of the quarter. Now, I am not familiar with their earlier releases (and never heard of them until now), but love this album. For me, their sound here is not at all Britpoppy, but rather has a real 70's hi-quality pop-rock sound, reminiscent of bands like The Doobie Brothers, The Kinks, America, and Todd Rundgren. Lead singer's vocals are somewhat similar to Ray Davies (which gives that somewhat Kinks sound), and they craft just a wonderful kind of folk-rock, vocal pop, and quality pop-rock, with great melodies and hooks, wonderful vocals and harmonies, and well-crafted arrangements. They evoke a 70's style without imitating or copying any one band or sound (and for me much better and more enjoyable than The Lemon Twigs album). Just Love this one, every track is low-key great. Best Tracks: It's Not the End, Call It What You Want, Looking Back, Beside Me, Summer Forever. Rating: 4 stars

Advent Horizon - Falling Together

This exciting Heavy Prog band from Salt lake City, Utah, made a big splash with their previous album, A Cell to Call Home (2023), which was absolutely fantastic. What was so great about this band and that album in particular was the great (and delicate) balance and mix between the heavy (metal) elements, classic melodic rock, and lighter more acoustic melodies and vocals. Just a fantastic blend that was unlike any other band. With this ambitious new album, they have again created something special, but they have also disrupted that wonderful blend by moving in a much heavier direction. The album is still very good, but the heavy elements dominate now, even including the addition of some extreme growling vocals. To be sure, there are still some beautiful melodic moments and great vocals, but these are fleeting, much less prominent, and are overpowered by the onslaught of heavy guitar throughout most tracks. That great balance has been lost and their sound now fits more closely with what other prog metal bands are doing, albeit some very good prog metal. Thus, although still quite good, this album was a disappointment for me, as I was really looking forward to some similar magic to what they created on the last album. To me, none of the songs here are as good as anything from the last album, although there are many fine moments. Best Tracks: Past Life Parable, Patience, Gravity I. Rating: 3.5 stars

Bruce Soord - Ghosts in the Park

4th solo album from founding member, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter for the Pineapple Thief, Bruce Soord. It is dark, moody, and atmospheric. Yes, somewhat melancholic, but with shimmering arrangements and instrumentation, and Soord's wonderful vocals. It is like all the quieter, gentler, brooding parts of Pineapple Thief maintained throughout the whole album, but without the heavier outbursts and more rockin' elements, which in some cases really seems missing here, and is what keeps this album from reaching the heights of the Pineapple Thief albums. Still, very good, with some great guitar, instrumental sections, and melodic moments throughout. The slow, sustained atmosphere is cool, but sounds a bit too much the same from song to song. But, if you are in the right mood for this, it is very effective and beautiful. Best Tracks: Day of Wrath, Ghosts in the Park, Our Predicament, Kept Me Thinking. Rating: 3.5 stars

Exploring Birdsong - Every House We Built

This just-released (6/26/26) first full-length album, following two fantastic EPs, The Thing With Feathers (2019) and Dancing in the Face of Danger (2023), shows the full potential of this wonderful UK Prog trio fronted by the dynamic keyboards and great vocals of Lynsey Ward, and ably supported by Jonny Knight (bass) and Matt Harrison (drums). Bringing a modern pop sound into their Prog landscapes, they blend multiple genres from dreamy pop to heavy prog to create their unique sound and style. Often moving from plaintive piano phrases to an immersive wall of soaring vocals, keyboards, bass and thundering drums, while maintaining a strong melodic sense amidst rhythmic intensity, they deliver bold and dynamic tracks, quite proggy, yet still fit rsomewhat within the pop world. Best Tracks: Footprints, Arrythmia, Meadowlands, Spy in the House of Love, The Warning, I_You.  Rating: 4 stars

Noah Kahan - The Great Divide

OK, so I had never heard of this American folk-pop singer-songwriter before this album dropped, but evidently he hit it big a few years ago with his last album, Stick Season (2022). Anyway, listened to this and really liked it. Very enjoyable, he's got a nice folky style with some slick pop production. His somewhat folk, somewhat pop songs, are simple but with catchy hummable melodies and hooks, with direct, often blunt, relatable lyrics, and basic but effective arrangements, and are just very pleasant and enjoyable. He covers a lot of ground in the Americana, Folk-rock, country-rock vein, but with a mainstream pop sheen. Sometimes sounds like a slicker Head and The Heart and on some ballads like a folky Ed Sheeran. Whatever, it goes down quite nicely for a pleasant good time. However, after awhile, and with the massive length of the album (17 songs, 77 min, let alone the extended edition with 21 songs and 96 min)), it does wear a bit thin with its sameness and repetitive style, but in smaller doses its quite nice. Best Tracks: Downfall, Great Divide, Headed North, Haircut, Porch Light, We Go Way Back. Rating: 3.5 stars

Artificial Silence - Hollow Drift

2nd album from this exciting young Prog band from Tacoma, Washington featuring, an enticing mix of symphonic prog, melodic rock, metal elements, and sophisticated vocal arrangements, as well as dashes of classical, jazz, pop, and soft rock. Beautiful melodies and vocals punctuated with driving rock and metal make a heady blend. However, in some places, the metal elements seem to be working against or even undermining the vocal melodies, and a lighter touch would be preferred, such as on Paradise and Tidal Lock. But the full potential of the band is realized on the fantastic epic-length title track (24 min.), where the band eases back on the metal aspects and lets their great vocals, melodies, songwriting, and instrumental prowess shine, showcasing numerous different styles to great success. Shows great promise, and with this album, the band is just on the brink of greatness. Best Tracks: Hollow Drift, The Shadow, Voice of a Stranger. Rating: 3.5 stars

 

Different Light - Binary Stars (Part II - Alternate Reality)

 Here's a Prog Band from Prague (Czech Republic), with the follow-up to their previous Binary Stars (Part I - Operant Condition) from 2020. Their music combines all the Proggy elements you expect with solid doses of classic rock and power pop, for a complex but very accessible sound. Think along the lines of Neal Morse, but maybe even more reminiscent of Styx, Kansas, or even a proggier Toto. A very effective and enjoyable album of melodic prog. It is structured into multiple suites of short songs comprising a 60+ min concept album. Very Nice. Best Tracks: A Fool's Errand. MindSpeaker Suite, Constant Silver Lining suite, The Syncretist. Rating 3.5 stars

Paul McCartney - The Boys of Dungeon Lane

The legendary Sir Paul McCartney, perhaps the greatest popular songwriter of all time, at 84 years old, delivers a surprisingly good album, a quite wonderful album of personal songs. Yes, his singing voice is shot at this point, but he makes it work here, with a collection of mostly very good tracks covering a variety of styles. Although I have not been a fan of many of his recent albums, and Paul is long past his prime years of the 1970's, he can still be counted on to put out at least one really good album every decade. In the 80's it was Tug of War, in the 90's Flaming Pie, the 2000's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, the 2010's New, and now this one, a quite entertaining blend of well-written and performed songs looking back on his life and times. Best Tracks: Ripples in the Pond, Down South, Come Inside, As You Lie There, The Days We Left Behind, Home To Us. Rating: 3.5 stars

Muse - The Wow! Signal

Interesting album from Muse, and a bold step forward relative to their other recent releases. Strange mix of styles and tracks, but with some real standouts. Although the album has somewhat of a space-age theme with the title reference and some more spacey synths and such, there are also plenty of gothic stylings with cathedral organ, choirs, and dark theatrical flair, their compelling drama pop, as well as some pure pop and dance tracks. But the two standout tracks are straight-up rockers, Cryogen and The Sickness in You, with heavy guitar and killer riffs and groove. It's a bit all over the pace stylistically, with some real ups and downs, but overall, surprisingly good and a promising return from the band. Best Tracks: Cryogen, The Sickness in You, Hush, Unravelling. Rating: 3.5 stars

Bruce Hornsby - Indigo Park

Interesting but very uneven album from piano master Hornsby. He tries out many different sounds and styles here, with some working and some not at all, his ? album. There are some very good songs in his recognizable sumptuous piano-based pop-rock style, but others where he goes more synthy or poppy are less successful. And then there are those where he tries to be more edgy or discordant, with talk-singing and atonal melodies that just don't work. He's just not Tom Waits or Randy Newman, and these departures weigh the album down, although do provide something different from Bruce. Thus Overall, worth hearing, but a mix of good and bad. Best Tracks: Indigo Park, North Dakota Slate Roof,  Sliver of Time, Take a Light Strain. Rating: 3 stars

Joe Jackson - Hope and Fury

After various forays into other musical styles, UK singer-songwriter Jackson returns with his first rock-oriented album in many years and a style Jackson refers to as "bicoastal Latin-jazz-funk-rock" and is most reminiscent of his albums Night and Day (1983) and Laughter and Lust (1991). He still slings his biting, sardonic lyrics, this time focusing on his observations of modern day England (and let's just say he is not happy with what he sees), but is bolstered by his characteristic piano-based, jazz-tinged, latin percussion backed, swinging rock. Although there is nothing new here (quite similar to previous work), it's nice to hear him get back to this style, and it is an enjoyable listen, but just doesn't stack up among his best work. Rating: 3 stars

Devin Townshend - The Moth

Big, ambitious, theatrical concept album, with full orchestra and dramatic presentation of this rock opera Townshend has been working on for many years. An impressive production, but musically, it is a very hit and miss affair. Obviously a passion project for him and a major work, but the music itself is less impressive and tends a bit too much toward the opera side, with its classical trappings and vocal style, and not enough on the rock side, to make it consistently entertaining. But have to give credit to the massive undertaking here. Rating: 3 stars

Foo Fighters - Your Favorite Toy

Well-done, competent rock from these veterans, if somewhat generic and similar to past releases. A step down from their last album, the more memorable and varied But Here We Are (2023). They go for a leaner and meaner sound on this one, but the heavier sound isn't necessarily better. It sounds fine, and fans will approve, but after listening, I didn't remember a single song or riff from this one. Rating: 3 stars

Ringo Starr - Long Long Road

Ringo and producer T-Bone Burnett return with another country album, following the successful Look Up (2025), again featuring Ringo's laconic vocals over Burnett's impeccable Americana production and numerous guest stars to bolster Ringo's limitations. But this 2nd effort delivers somewhat diminishing returns, with more of the same, but with noticeably weaker songs, being just OK and failing to rise above mediocrity. Rating: 2.5 stars

Slift - Fantasia
Post-punk (or is it post-rock? I never know) darlings. This is absolutely terrible, with obnoxious screaming vocals through the whole thing. There may actually be some interesting things happening musically here, but the vocalist screaming at me throughout ruins everything else. Unlistenable. Rating: 1.5 (the extra .5 only due to some nice instrumental work)

BB’s Rating scale:

1 star – Terrible, torturous to have to listen to

1.5 stars - Poor, not worth your time

2 stars – Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall

2.5 stars – Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either

3 stars – Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often

3.5 stars – Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall

4 stars – Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again

4.5 stars – Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece 

5 stars – A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time

OK, that wraps up the new and notable albums I've been listening to lately, lots of good stuff there. Some of these I've only had the chance to listen to a few times, so it's possible some ratings could change a bit with repeated listening, but this is how I'm feeling now. What did you think of the latest crop of albums? Let me know what your favorite albums have been so far this year?  
   

 
 
 

Hey Don't RUSH Me! (It's OK to like what you like and not like what you don't)

 

 

As readers of this blog should know, I really like a variety of different types of music, but progressive rock is a particular favorite of mine. And as a fan of progressive rock, there are several artists that we fans are just supposed to adore wholeheartedly, such as Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, etc. And while most of those 'big' names in Prog are among my very favorite artists, some are just not for me. For example, Rush is a prog band that I should like, they are excellent musicians that made complex, sophisticated progressive rock, but they just don't do anything for me. Not that I actively dislike them, I just don't connect with their music. It's OK, but just doesn't appeal to me that much. They have some very good songs, but overall, just not a band that I have much interest in. I grew up when they were making it big in the '70's, I heard all of their albums, at least up through the mid-80's, but never actually bought any of their albums, and can't really imagine putting on one of their albums for enjoyment. I am constantly hearing from fans how great they are, the best drummer, the best guitarist, best bassist, etc. Several years ago, after continually hearing that I just have to like Rush, I went back and re-listened through their catalog to see if maybe I just missed something years ago and would appreciate them more now. But no, they're still just not a band that appeals much to me. As I tried to identify why, it came down to several factors. But most importantly, just the overall sound and style of the band is something that I just don't care much for. Rush has a very distinctive style and sound, instantly recognizable, no other band sound quite like them, but it is just not a style I enjoy. First, Geddy Lee is not a good singer, his vocals, although you can get used to them, are just poor. And Alex Lifeson may be a great guitarist, but again, I just don't like his style of play, too grating. I will grant that Neil Peart is a superb drummer, but I wish I liked the songs he played on more. I can appreciate the band as artists, but I just don't really enjoy their music. King Crimson is another great legendary Prog band, highly acclaimed in Prog circles, but one that I don't really listen to much. Again, I can appreciate their importance to progressive rock music, and admire their musical skill, virtuosity, and trailblazing uniqueness, but I still just don't really connect that much with most of their music. It may be brilliant, but it's just not something that is very appealing to me.

Now, the point I want to make here is not to slam or disparage Rush (or King Crimson), but just to show that we all like different music for different reasons. Music is very subjective and highly emotional, and we all respond or are affected differently by different types and styles of music. Not so much that any one is 'better' than another, but they just affect us in different ways. I tend to be moved more by melody, harmony, and rhythm, which may be why Rush and King Crimson are not favorites, as they tend to be less melodic, and  may be why I have a real problem with most metal and metal-oriented styles. Some people will say that they like all kinds of music, but that most certainly is not true, as they may like some music within all styles or genres, but certainly not all, as we all have our own likes and preferences. So, I do like and enjoy a wide variety of different styles of music, from classical, jazz, folk, pop, rock, soul, funk, and everything in between, but there is also quite a lot of specific music, and quite popular music, that just doesn't appeal to me. I try to mostly talk just about the music that I really love and am most excited about, because there is so much great music out there that I want to share and enjoy. And I try not to bash or insult the music or artists I don't much care for, because I know that they may be loved and admired by a lot of people, and just because they do not excite me doesn't mean that their music is bad or not worth listening to, it is just not for me. People tend to be very quick to say that this or that band/artist 'sucks' or are worthless just because they don't care for their music. But that's not how it works. It's perfectly fine to criticize a music style you don't like or indicate why it doesn't appeal to you, but if others enjoy it, that's great, too. People listen to different kinds of music for a lot of different reasons, and it can affect people quite differently. Now I do like rating and ranking albums, as to my preferences and tastes, but that of course is just my personal opinion and how that music affects me, and as we all know, everybody seems to have differing opinions on what is truly the best, even among die-hard fans of any given band.

The other main point here is that it is quite OK to like what you like and not like what you don't. Everybody tends to find the music that most appeals to them to enjoy, and may not pay much attention to the rest. But that doesn't mean that everything else is worthless, it just may not be your thing, or maybe you just haven't heard it yet. Some music takes multiple listens before you can fully 'get' it. So, it is important to explore and try various kinds of music because you might find stuff you really like that you were not previously aware of. But once you've given an artist or style a listen and it just doesn't appeal to you, that's fine. You really can't like everything, and there is no point in trying to like everything just because someone else said it was good. So, by all means, fully enjoy your favorite music, but don't worry about the music you don't 'get' or just don't enjoy (or even actively despise). Most likely there's someone out there who just loves it and can't live without it. But please be sympathetic to others that may really enjoy that music you hate, it may mean a lot to them, so let them enjoy it, even if you don't.

In the posts on this blog, I have talked about many artists, both popular and lesser known, that I really like and enjoy, their music means a lot to me and I enjoy talking about them, sharing, and possibly exposing some others to great music they may not be aware of. But there are also many very popular bands and artists that I am just not much of a fan of, so I don't talk about them here. And its OK that I'm not a fan of Rush, or the Rolling Stones, or Black Sabbath, or even Led Zeppelin. There's so much great music out there, find what you really like, what makes you happy, but you don't have to like everything, or be dismissive of those that don't like the same music you do. Just enjoy!

  

Eighteen! And I Don't Know What I Want! (18 Years of BB Chronicles)

 

18 Years of BB Chronicles!

    Yes, it's that time again, we've made it through another year, and it's time to celebrate the 18th anniversary of this forsaken blog! That's right, it's been 18 years since I started this little musical outpost, and throughout its ups and downs, highs and lows, I am still here sporadically putting out my musical musings and commentary, and trying to help make some great and usually lesser known music heard by more people. And although 18 is just coming of age for humans, it's more like senior citizen/old age for internet blogs, so I guess that is something to celebrate. Now, I know the postings have been pretty slim and slow in coming in recent months, and I do apologize for that, but circumstances have conspired to make things difficult to get content ready for posting recently. But I will be working on that, and I hope to do much better moving forward. Also, I know that there are lots of dead links (more than there are live ones) on the music posts, which is hard to keep up with normally, due to sites crashing, going defunct, and links expiring, but I've also had issues with my computer crashing and files being unavailable, compounding reuploading difficulties. But I will work to fix those issues as much as possible. I do have much more I want to present and discuss here, so I will strive to present quality new stuff, and I hope there will continue to be new things of interest here for you. As has been the case over the past couple years or so, my content has shifted away from live concerts to more album rankings and new album reviews, as I just am not collecting live recordings any more, but I still may be posting some downloadable music content from time to time.  

    Anyway, once again, as I have each year at this time, I also want to take this time to thank and celebrate all the others out there who have made so much of this great music, and those that have made it freely available for others. So, to all the other bloggers, tapers, forum posters, and music fans out there, and most importantly, to all the great artists and musicians that have created and performed this wonderful music, and certainly to all that have stumbled upon these pages, find something of interest and hopefully come back again, I offer a huge and heartfelt Thank You. And again, I implore everyone to purchase all the official releases of your favorite artists, as well as, wherever possible, go see them live in concert. The music and commentary here serves to supplement, not replace, all of their officially released music. They are supported by fans like us. 

    So, I will continue to carry on here, pretty much as I have, and I hope there are things here that are of interest that will keep you coming back for more, and to always be excited about all the great music all around us. As always, thanks for your interest and support. Take care, it's a brutal world out there, and we need our music to make it through.