29 January 2026
Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.
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Following two albums with garage band the Licks, this first solo outing marks a step forward
5.8
...the heart of Uam is Fowlis’s diamond-cut Gaelic timbre... the results sound not so much written as excavated from the Hebridean terrain where she grew up Read Review
Derivative or not, she's discovered a more varied tone, ranging from the woozily psychedelic (""Romeo"") to the feverishly gothic (""Noche Sin Fin""), and melodies to match her raspingly alluring vocals Read Review
Print edition only
The tracks themselves have more than enough variety to hold the attention with the dreamy psychedelia of Romeo contrasted with the gothic Noche Sin Fin. But some of the more conceptual tracks aren't quite up there Read Review
A frazzled and bluesy beast, which finds Lewis hollering in the hope of hitting the Janis Joplin mark and falling only slightly short. Not bad for someone who believes we're all reincarnated aliens Read Review
The record includes all the glitchy, hard-rocking riffs and punchy drumbeats one would expect from any set produced by The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez Lopez Read Review
A competent angst-belter who knows how to imitate singers she likes, from Courtney Love to Kim Carnes — even if her Janis Joplin is too close to 30 Rock for comfort Read Review
Structurally and tonally, songs such as Romeo, All Is for Good and the wonderful Ghosts hint at the murky depths of Bat for Lashes and the prickliness of Siouxsie and the Banshees; more often, though, a generic, formulaic bombast blasts both song and listener into submission Read Review
Juliette Lewis: Terra Incognita
Ari Lennox Vacancy
Neo-soul elegance and late-night vibes define the R&B star’s most inviting record to date NME
Lennox’s music often nods to the past, but her new album feels more in tune with the zeitgeist Slant Magazine
The singer’s first album for Interscope is honey-sweet, grown-up R&B that’s looking for a little something missing Pitchfork
Lennox balances jazz-soaked tradition with flashes of unruly humour and a surefire viral hit The Guardian
Jenny on Holiday Quicksand Heart
Feels more like a steady progression than a revolutionary rebrand No Ripcord
Megadeth Megadeth
Megadeth's self-titled swan song is weighted down by its own sense of importance No Ripcord
The Cribs Selling A Vibe
They're truly at their best when their tuneful choruses come paired with a raw, stripped-down treatment No Ripcord
Westside Cowboy So Much Country ‘Till We Get There
Island imprint Adventure Recordings appears to be giving Westside Cowboy a hefty push, and the early signs are that they have the chops to make the most of it No Ripcord
Cast Yeah Yeah Yeah
This is Cast sounding comfortable, confident, and settled. The songs are strong, the production is polished without being overworked, and the band sound like they know exactly who they are at this stage XS Noize
With as many albums in this century as in the last, ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ finds Cast building on the momentum of the previous two years with both confidence and quality. Refusing to trade solely on nostalgia, it’s a beefed-up version of their best selves. Long may their positivity last Clash
The Liverpudlians’ eighth album is the sound of a band determined to prove they’re more than a Britpop legacy act musicOMH
Power's voice is improving with age, especially confident and commanding on the closing, psych-baroque "Birds Heading South". Print edition only NME
The excellent PP Arnold featuring lead single Poison Vine is a good indicator of the move towards a very Stones-y type of uplifting soulful rock and blues; the swelling gospel rock of Don't Look Away is the most stirring thing they've done yet. Print edition only Record Collector
Instead of going out with a nuclear bang, Megadeth serves lean sides that won’t clog the final tour’s setlists Beats Per Minute
Louis Tomlinson How Did I Get Here?
The songs on the former One Direction member’s over-referential, sometimes uneven third album don’t shrink down for anyone, and he sells his disappointment and anxiety with nuance, refusing to bemoan his own celebrity Paste Magazine
Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Rosalía Lux
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Spiritbox Tsunami Sea
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Hayley Williams Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways