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, Archipelago, 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. 

New Album Roundup - Winter 2026 (Jan-Mar)

New Album Roundup - Winter 2026

Well, here we are, with the first 3 months of 2026 already behind us, winter is gone and springtime ahead. Although I haven't been posting to the blog over that time, I have been busy and listening to all the new music coming out. So, it's time once again to highlight some of the best new albums that have been released over the past 3 months (January-March 2026). I've listened to some 30+ new albums in these early months of 2026, and there have been many quite good ones, and a few that really stand out as something really special. Anyway, these are the albums that I think are notable and have liked the most thus far. 

Big Big Train - Woodcut

Have to lead-off with this, as Big Big Train is one of my favorite current bands, and they have done it again with this fantastic new release. Of course, BBT is a UK Prog band known for their beautiful pastoral melodies, soaring instrumental passages, evocative narratives, and sweeping majestic symphonic Prog, maintaining effective use of strings and horns, as well occasional bursts of heavier prog instrumental sections. BBT has now fully emerged from tragedy and turmoil earlier this decade with a new lineup that has evolved into perhaps their strongest ensemble thus far. And here, the band presents their first fully immersive concept album, 16 interrelated tracks (66 min. of music) that tell the story of a woodcarving artist, exploring the themes of creative obsession, struggle for recognition and the emotional highs and lows of the creative process. But, as always, it's the music that is most important here, and the songs play out in a wonderful sequence of beauty, style, and emotion from beginning to end, covering a variety of musical styles from beautiful melodic sections to thunderous, energetic rock. Vocals are superb throughout, led by Alberto Bravin, but each of the various vocalists in the band get their chance to shine on different songs. Overall, a wonderful cohesive album that is sure to remain among the very best albums of the year. Best Tracks: The Artist, Chimaera,  Cut and Run, The Sharpest Blade, Counting Stars. Rating: 4.5 stars.

Neal Morse Band - L.I.F.T.

The latest from prolific U.S. Progger Neal Morse is a return of the Neal Morse Band, and it is fantastic. Neal releases a lot of albums (35+ since 2000) in many forms and various collaborators, and with various degrees of success (ranging from ho-hum to the greatest Prog classics), but for me at least, his output with the Neal Morse Band has always been among his best albums, as this ensemble, with Eric Gillette (guitars), Bill Hubauer (keyboards), Randy George (bass), and Mike Portnoy (drums) joining Neal, brings out the best in them all. But after Mike Portnoy left to rejoin Dream Theater in 2024, the future of NMB was in doubt, yet here we have a new NMB album, their first since Innocence and Danger (2021) and 5th overall, and it is a joy from start to finish. It is a fully fleshed out concept album, with each song delivering a powerful punch, perfectly blending classic rock with great prog. The songs all work here and all fit together to make a most satisfying album experience, filled with great melodies and instrumental virtuosity. 13 songs (70 min. runtime), and although no epic-length tracks, there's still plenty of opportunities for proggy instrumental sections and for each band member to shine. Love this album, sure to be one of the best of the year, and best from Neal in many many years. If you've liked Neal's work in the past but haven't been impressed with his more recent albums, be sure to check this one out, as it is ranks up there with his best.  Best Tracks: Reaching, Carry You Again, Gravity's Grip, Fully Alive Part 2, Love All Along. Rating 4.5 stars

Spirergy - Whenever Forever

Third album from this UK Progressive rock outfit, which is a project of multi-instrumentalist Dave Allen, and it's a wonderful journey through 70's-style classic melodic symphonic prog. Nice blending of vocal and instrumental sections, and mix of guitars and keyboards as lead instruments. Best tracks tend to be the longer ones, where Dave gets a chance to really stretch out in extended instrumental sections. I particularly love the prevalent incorporation of acoustic instruments (piano, acoustic and 12-string guitars) amidst the electronics (electric guitars, synthesizers). Songs and styles are very reminiscent of the usual classic bands (Genesis, Yes, ELP, Rush, etc), and most reminds me of Starcastle, but also still forge their own way. Songs include a mix of shorter and longer tracks, including the epic-length (16 min) title track, and The vocals fall somewhere between Jon Anderson and Geddy Lee (for better or worst). Overall, a wonderful and very entertaining album that fans of classic Prog should definitely check out. Best Tracks: Carry Me Home, In the Small Hours, See it in Your Eyes, Whenever Forever. Rating: 4 stars 

Rope and Ladder - This Is Wild

2nd album from this Indie rock duo (Jay Clark and Ryan Dolen) from Boston, with a unique sound that I would call Power Folk or heavy folk-rock, in that their songs have somewhat of a Folk aesthetic, but are presented with a powerful, theatrical rock approach. Their songs are somewhat melancholic and uplifting at the same time. Often start off with mellow acoustic guitars before building to powerful anthemic and sometimes symphonic arrangements, and with beautiful vocals and harmonies throughout. But they also feature a variety of different styles, from the stark acoustic gloom of I Watched You Watch Him Die to the power blues of Holy Ghost, to the channeling of The Kinks in the delightful power pop title track, to the angelic Lemon Twigs-style harmonies of Still, and at other times resembling the symphonic Folk of Cloud Cult. Every song is a winner on this surprising and delightful album. Best Tracks: This is Wild, Grandfather, Fight or Flight, No Hard Feelings, Wasted on Me. Rating: 4 stars. 
  
The Dear Hunter - Sunya

This genre-defying U.S. alternative progressive pop band's much anticipated follow-up to their fantastic 2022 album, Antimai, is finally here. This concept album continues to flesh out the world presented in Antimai, featuring a similar sound palette, mixing in jazz, funk, soul textures to their unique sound. Whereas Antimai explored the physical and social structure of the city-state, Sunya ventures out beyond the city to the people and places of the outlying regions. Although not quite as sonically bold and dynamic as its predecessor, Sunya features rich and sumptuous soundscapes - there's a lot going on here - with complex, layered, and intricately detailed arrangements and instrumentation, creating lush and encompassing sonic landscapes. Once again, Casey Crescenzo's vocals, as well as the backing harmonies, are superb, with Casey's voice seeming to fit right in with whatever style of song they present. Wonderful songs throughout, from the opening Wastelands, Marauders, the most rockin' track, the 3-part heart of the album, The Glass Desert, with Glass Desert III showing a Tears for Fears-style lush pop, and concluding with the dreamy title track. A Great album, with the only complaint being that it is too short, just as the full ambiance seems to be in full swing, it's over, and we want more. Can't wait for the next phase and where they will take us next. Best tracks: Marauders, The Glass Desert I, II, III, Sunya. Rating 4.5 stars

Hallas - Panorama

This 4th album from Swedish prog band Hallas takes us back to the 70's. The first half of the album is a brilliant epic-length (21 min) early 70's style symphonic prog masterpiece, Above the Continuum, that is just sensational. It features everything you could want in a prog rock epic, from the gentle melodic sections to thunderous rocking, grand majestic themes, and instrumental acrobatics, with no lulls or lapses throughout its extended runtime. Takes you back to early 70's symphonic prog, and certainly with glimpses of the prog greats (Genesis, Yes, ELP, Moody Blues, etc.) abound, yet the overall style and sound is squarely their own on this masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic and sure to be among the very best epics of the year. However, for the second half of the album, they switch to 4 shorter songs and a more straight-forward 70's melodic hard rock style, driving rock with heavy riffs and catchy melodies. Still very well-done, but just not that special or interesting, at least for me. If whole album was as good as the first half, it would be one of the best of the year, but overall, still a very good album. Best Track: Above the Continuum. Rating: 3.5 stars

Legs on Wheels - Gobble

2nd album from this unique eclectic alternative progressive/art rock band from the U.K. that features a fun, energetic, all-over-the-place style, incorporating aspects of many different genres. As for what they sound like, imagine a mixture of early Split Enz (especially the vocals), XTC (quirky off-kilterness), Gentle Giant (for the progginess and complexity), and maybe some 10 cc and They Might Be Giants (for the silliness), something like that. Lyrics seem to be mostly nonsense, and the music features many odd time signatures, rhythms, and abrupt changes between sections, but still remains melodic. There's some musical magic here, and it mostly works. The album closer, Masteroid, is longer (11 min) and gives the band a chance to stretch out a bit more instrumentally, and also has some sections that resemble a more proggy Steely Dan, among other highlights. An album with lots of fun quirks and oddities. Best Tracks: Masteroid, Waiting for his Drowning, Centipede, Winner Winner. Rating: 3.5 stars

Motorpsycho - Gaia II Space Corps

Versatile and prolific prog band Motorpsycho is back and goes full-on Psych-Rock/Space rock with this latest release, with only occasional glimpses of their Prog influences (such as on The Oracle). They deliver a solid rockin' album of psychedelic hard rock propelled by repeating heavy guitar riffs, solid melodies, and soaring solos. They add some of their usual flair to the proceedings, but overall, they stick to the script of bringing back the sound of 70's psych rock with fun, jammy style for this album. Best Tracks: The Oracle, Gaia II Space Corp, TSMcR, The Great Stash Robbery.  Rating 3.5 stars

Major Parkinson - Valesa Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse!

Norwegian Prog pop/rock. I really wanted to love this quirky genre-defying band and their mix of jazz, pop, rock, funk, prog, and metal, as their no-holds-barred approach is similar to bands I love such as The Dear Hunter and Moron Police, but sadly, I just could not. Musically this is some really cool stuff with funky complex beats, rhythms, and intricate and inventive arrangements. There's a lot going on here. But the shouty, growly, talk-singing lead vocals and annoying lyrics are terrible, and greatly detract from every song. That plus the unevenness of the album (First half or so is great, second half plummets bad, especially the extended annoying metal nonsense of Karma Supernova and Maybelline) really weaken what could have been a great album. The album then bizarrely closes with a straightforward sweet pop song (Kiss Me Now) for a weak finish. If you can get past the poor vocals and couple weak tracks, there is a lot to like about this band and album, but given the weaknesses I can't score it as anything above a good rating. Best Tracks: Superdad, Father Superior, Showbiz, Viva the Apocalypse. Rating: 3 stars 

Tigran Hamasyan - Manifeste

Exceptionally talented Armenian jazz pianist and composer goes all out on this release with an ambitious, sprawling 14 track, 72 min, album that is stylistically all over the place, featuring interpretations of Armenian folk tunes and hymns, smooth jazz, jazz-rock fusion, freeform jazz, Prog and Prog-metal, and polyrhythm math-rock, and everything in between.  Mostly instrumental, but  lyric vocals on a couple tracks, and non-word vocalizations on several more. Best known for his staccato rhythms and intricately pulsing melody lines creating dynamic technically complex compositions. At times reminiscent of the melodic jazz of Pat Metheny Group, at others more freeform or avant jazz forms.  However, due to the vastly different style and tone of the varying tracks, the sprawling album becomes a somewhat uncomfortable listen, as one listener is not likely to fully appreciate all the different styles here (for example, I didn't care much for some of the slower hymn-like tunes). This is one of those albums where best to pull out your favorites in a playlist rather than listen straight through, but there is no denying the talent here. Best Tracks: Manifeste, Ultradance, Dardahan, War-time Poem, Prelude for All Seekers. Rating 3.5 stars

Perfect Beasts - Perfect Beasts

New hard rock band fronted by everywhere vocalist-guitarist John Mitchell (Karmakanic, Frost, It Bites, Kino, Arena, Lonely Robot, Asia) that features melodic hard rock and classic rock, with just a touch of Prog. The sound is dominated by heavy guitar riffs and catchy melodies and choruses, with Mitchell's soaring vocals the best part of it. There's some pretty good songs here (but also some duds), but i seems like they are trying a bit too hard to put a heavy hard rock edge to most of the songs that doesn't always blend well with the melodies. Some nice instrumental touches, overall, quite well done, but just not a style that resonates much with me. But if you're looking for some more tuneful hard rock, this might be for you. Best Tracks: Genie's Out the Bottle, Non-Stop to the Moon, On a Curve, Undertow. Rating: 3 stars

Hamasaari - Pictures

2nd album from this French Prog band features moody, atmospheric, melancholic modern Prog. Especially adept at juxtaposing lighter acoustic melodic sections with heavier, powerful, grungey, prog-metal passages, while maintaining a somber, haunting feel.  Best Tracks: Frames, Home, Our Head Spinning, Under the Trees. Rating: 3.5 stars

Plantoid  - Flare

2nd album from this eclectic UK Prog band follows-up their acclaimed debut, Terrapath, with their own distinctive brand of modern Prog. Although they have lots of interesting moods and sounds, for some reason it just doesn't work for me. The songs don't really go anywhere or amount to much. In this case, the lack of melody or cohesive structure undermines its effectiveness, and I just can't quite get into it. Rating: 2.5 stars

Quick Hits

Soft Machine - Thirteen
Legendary UK psychedelic Canterbury scene band that evolved into a premier Avant jazz-rock fusion band returns with more quality instrumental experimental improvisational jazz-rock. Rating: 3 stars

Gong - Bright Spirit
Another legendary UK psychedelic Canterbury scene band returns with their own trippy, spacey, middle-eastern influenced jazzy psychedelia, updated with some modern touches. Rating: 3 stars

Dina Ogon - Manniskobarn
Swedish indie pop-rock. Kind of like a mellow Swedish Fleetwood Mac. Nice, pleasant. Rating: 3 stars

Squeeze - Trixies
Veteran UK new wave pop band are back (after 9-yr gap) with this interesting concept album about the people in and around a local bar. Overall, some quite good songs, some unmemorable songs, in a variety of styles. A nice listen, but just never really soars. Rating: 3 stars

Weedpecker - V
Polish rock band delivers cool, compelling space-rock/psych-rock. Somewhat reminscent of Motorpsycho, but also with their own style and sound. Rating: 3 stars. 

Buck Meek - The Mirror
Solo album (his 4th) from Big Thief guitarist-backing vocalist Meek. Nice, basic lo-fi sound, but overall, the songs are a bit lackluster and underdeveloped, and Meek's meager vocals don't help. Just OK. Rating 2.5 stars.  

Melissa Etheridge - Rise

Solid album from this veteran American singer-songwriter. Shows she can still really rock and deliver powerful, emotional classic rock and Americana. Rating: 3 stars 

Angine de Poitrine - Vol II

Lastly, I feel I need to weigh on this outrageous French-Canadian duo who have become internet sensations with their wild circus costumes and look, and intricate microtonal math rock sounds. First, you have to admire how they have made themselves essential pop culture icons, and  I applaud their ability to bring attention and acclaim to what is basically a very esoteric musical form that normally would only be of interest to music theory nerds. However, it still is basically a novelty act, and one that would seem to have a quite short lifespan in the public eye. The act, both visually and musically, wears thin pretty fast. Musically, it is different and unique, at least for a while. It sounds kinda cool at first, but then grows tedious and repetitive. It's just not very sustainable. For me, the novelty didn't even last for the whole album (or even through whole songs, as each songs seems too long by at least half). It was a chore to make it through the entire album (I still haven't made it through an entire video). Despite all the complex microtonal flourishes and rhythms, the songs are basically monotonic drones with repetitive riffs and soloing over the top. Some have claimed this to be the future of music. No. Now, it may spur the next 'bad trend' of music, as people and bands rush out to buy microtonal guitars and experiment with them, with mostly dismal results, but other than that, it will likely remain just a curiosity. Perhaps when artists can incorporate microtonal techniques to create real musical compositions, then maybe that could lead somewhere, but this as it is, is just an interesting curiosity. And as an album, it is just OK. Rating: 2.5 stars 

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, so that's what I have for the first quarter of 2026. Some really good stuff in there. What did I miss? What were your favorite new albums so far in 2026? Let me know in the comments.

On the Way Back

 

 

Hey There! How you doing this winter? OK, I know, long time, no posts or activity here. Well, I intended to take some time off in January before getting back into things, but then that was extended, both through laziness and some technical issues. The personal computer I used for this blog (and many other things) melted down and became inoperable and it has taken awhile to get things back in order. That's also why several requests to fix broken download links have not been addressed, as I did not have access to the hard drive where all those files are located. I'm getting things worked out now, so should be able to get back up and running soon. But I have been keeping busy, and will have some things of note to post soon. Already lots of good new music released this year and much more coming. In the meantime, keep checking out past posts and downloads, and thanks for your continued support. Still under snow here, but Spring will be here soon!

 

 

Best (My Favorite) Songs of the Year - 2025

 

To wrap-up my year-end review lists, here are my picks for some of the best songs of the year (Top 20), as well as best instrumentals (Top 10) and best epics (Top 10). Choosing the best individual songs is a bit trickier than the best albums, as there are so many songs, and I could have filled the list with basically all the songs from the very best albums (such as Pachinko, A Shout Into The Void, and Transmutation), but I have opted to include only one song from each album to provide more variety, and thus had to choose among many great song options. So, not surprisingly, most of the songs do come from my favorite albums, but there are a few great songs that came from albums that did not make my top albums list and represent the best from those albums. So here they are, at least at this moment, as these can change very quickly over time. 

Best Songs (For more info on the albums the songs come from, see my albums of the year post as well as my previous reviews of most of these albums [links included in the albums of the year posts])

20. Someone Like Me - Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side

19. Balthazar - Motorpsycho

18. Considerations  - The Flower Kings

17. Frippa - Clann

16. Bend the Clock - Dream Theater

15. De Tre Gatier - Lars Frederik Froislie

14. Tiny Star - Echolyn

13. Gone - Bjorn Riis

12. Tessalate - Smalltape

11. Signals - Ihlo

10. Golden Gate - Madison Cunningham

9. Hello Sunshine - Flyte

8. Better Than This - OK Go

7. Blue-Eyed Raven - Styx

6. Spaceman in Tulsa - Counting Crows

5. The Artist - Big Big Train (from upcoming album, Woodcut)

4. Lose This Ball and Chain - Karmakanic

3. Brain on Fire - Great Wide Nothing

2. Next Step - Spock's Beard

1. Pachinko - Moron Police

 

Best Instrumentals

10. Kip Satie - Motorpsycho

9. Jupiter Suite - Lux Terminus

8. Fimbulvinter - Bjorn Riis

7. Triangulation - Steve Morse Band

6. Mind Obscured, Heart Eclipsed

5. Gamle Mester - Lars Frederik Froislie

4. Sunrise - Anders Buaas

3. Gruvan - Jonas Lindberg

2. One Thousand Eyes - Great Wide Nothing

1. Terraforming - Ambient Den

 

Best Epics (14+ min.) of the Year

There is something special about epic-length songs, when done right, and Prog is known for their epic tracks, and 2025 was a big year for epics (after several years of fewer occurrences), with more than 30 notable epics that I was aware of. Here are the 10 best of he year.

10. The Memory of After Part 1 (15 min.) - Myth of Logic, from album of same name

9. Water in Our Hands (29 min.) - Echolyn, from the album Time Silent Radio vii

8. Our Final Song (14.5 min.) - Arjen Anthony Lucassen, from the album Songs No One Will Hear

7. The Passing (32 min.) - Jacob Roberge, from the album of the same name

6. Neotzar (21 min.) - Motorpsycho, from self-titled album 

5. Opus Imperfectus Pt. 1 (18.5 min.) - Magic Pie, from the album Maestro

4. The Wind (17.5 min.) - Jonas Lindberg, from the album Time Frames

3. Terraforming (16.5 min.) - Ambient Den, from self-titled album

2. The Archaeoptimist (21 min.) - Spock's Beard, from album of same name

1. Transmutation (23 min.) - Karmakanic, from album of same name

So there you have it, that wraps up my look back at the music of 2025, which was a stellar year for music, if you knew where to look and find it. Great songs, great albums. Let me know what your favorite music of the year was. Looking forward to more great music in 2026. I wish everyone a safe and joyous Happy New Year (as much as possible in these trying times) to extend all throughout the year. I'll be back with more music news and analysis soon.