2026 Media Opinions

Music

  1. Gorillaz - The Mountain (Feb 2026)

    Fantastic album that has a solid identity all the way through, which is particularly fun since the music wears its various cultural influences plainly on its sleeves. That all isn’t surprising from Gorillaz, but this particular journey feels standout even for such a notably great band. And you know ya boi loves a reoccurring musical motif, which just compliments the album-spanning themes of death and the search for meaning, culminating in the concept of the titular Mountain, which is similarly referenced across songs. Worth listening to all the way through, even if there are particular songs I enjoy more than others.

  2. Carpenter Brut - Leather Temple (Feb 2026)

    Rev your engines, motherfuckers. Ohhhh my god what a fun album; when I need to feel like a powerful overlord of evil to hype myself up for vacuuming, I know what music I’ll be reaching for. I’m mostly familiar with Carpenter Brut through their work on Furi, and Leather Temple absolutely lives up to the hype—the album declares ‘A Syntherpunk Hyperdrive Through Time’ and ho boy it is. I can so easily compose scenes of brutal boss fights, the protagonist on the backfoot but steeling their resolve for one last push of everything they have, or, fittingly for one of my current writing projects, a gritty dungeon crawl where every second demands wit and competence. ‘She Rules the Ruins’ is a personal standout track, though when listened to as a full album, ‘The End Complete’ almost feels like an exciting but cruel fake-out of a denouement or cool down from the intensity of the rest of the album. Absolutely worth a listen.

  3. Mika - Hyperlove (Jan 2026)

    It has some interesting ideas, and I totally get what it’s trying to do, but as a whole album, not for me. A bit disappointing, since I really loved Life in Cartoon Motion, but with an artist that likes to experiment like Mika, it’s missing the point to want them to do what they’ve already done. Still, I did save a couple songs, and if you’re in the mood for something interesting, giving Hyperlove a listen might be a fun experience.

  4. Moby - Future Quiet (Feb 2026)

    I’m genuinely so sad. I wouldn’t call Future Quiet bad music, but it is so not for me. I stopped partway through track one, When it’s Cold I’d Like to Die, to listen to some Splatoon 2 tracks, but figured I was just in the mood for something higher energy while I was doing some cleaning. However, when I went back to give the album another shot, I couldn’t make it through the whole thing. It’s too somber and virtuosic for me, especially since I was hoping for bouncier, groovier tracks like I’d enjoyed from Hotel. I’m happy for an artist to branch out, but if this is Moby’s new direction, I’ll probably skip future albums—the future is quiet indeed.

Honorable Mentions (Not released this year, but I listened to them for the first time)

  1. Melissa Auf der Maur - Auf der Maur (2004)

    Super fun, thrilling concepts and lyrics, an album I can see myself coming back to again and again, if just having more than half of the songs saved in my general playlist isn’t high praise enough. After listening through the first time, I immediately told three or four friends that I’d done so, which just speaks to how much I truly enjoyed this album. Learning that this was just a debut album, I think I have to go listen to Melissa Auf der Maur’s discography now.