I'm putting together this "Monthly Report" playlist to, for once in my life, keep better track of the new albums released every month that really caught my attention. Pending I'm disciplined enough, this will be an ongoing playlist series.

If the caliber of albums released every month in 2026 is equal to that of January, I'm going to have a really hard time narrowing down my album of the year list. What can you expect from this playlist? A surprising amount of shoegaze and jazzy global fusion. I hope you find something new that catches your ear!

Un destello de luz - Adiós Cometa

Spinda Records never disappoints. If you enjoy shoegaze and post-rock, you'll likely enjoy this year's dark & moody output from Costa Rican band Adiós Cometa.

Blood and Honey - Summer of Hate

This Porto-based band blends noisy shoegaze with a 60s psychedelic pop shimmer and Middle Eastern musical stylings. 

Gå på tå - Neon Heart

A solid hour and sixteen minutes of Swedish kosmische.

Arikomban Space - Ishaaq Aarkistra

One of the most intriguing albums I've heard recently, Arikomban Space is a global psychedelic journey that blends improvised Swedish jazz and raga with dub and hip-hop beats. What is it? I don't really know, but it's one hell of a captivating spaced-out journey. Enjoy the sonic ride.

Ipnagogico - al doum & the faryds

Another album blending all sorts of cultural and musical influences into a psychedelic amalgamation of something that lands somewhere near spiritual jazz, psychedelic folk, and Frank Zappa at his most whimsical. 

Essam - Imarhan

This established Algerian desert blues band is back with an updated sound featuring samples and synthesizers, adding a modern flavor as they stretch their sound from its Tuareg-guitar roots.

Life is a Wonder and It's Cruel - T. Gold

I knew this record was special as soon as I started listening (h/t Blank Tapes for cluing me into this one). There are some delightful twists and turns on this duo's playful drum machine-injected folk pop record which features an amazing array of instrumentation provided by a solid handful of collaborators. This record is a rich and beautiful piece of art that sounds like the comfort of friends and family.

Yatta! - YĪN YĪN

This disco/funk/Southeast Asian psych group from Netherlands is back with a very vibey record that is sure to resonate with fans of Khruangbin, BVTHS, and Altın Gün alike. 

Panorama - Hällas

Know one of those people who says "music stopped being good after 1980?" Just play Panorama for them and tell them it's a lost album from 1977. If you know Hällas, you're familiar with their Swedish hard rock in all of its saccharine melody and prog'd out glory. Panorama is more of that, and it rules.

hear - Temptress

I first learned of Temptress when my band opened for them and their Texas compatriots Monte Luna (members of each band are also in the fantastic group Slumbering Sun) a few years back. It's been awesome watching Temptress grow and stretch into what you hear (hah, punintentional) on their latest offering. It has that grungy crunch of doom and atmospheric roominess.

Not Here Not Gone - Blackwater Holylight

An incredible record from start to finish. The musicianship is tight and Sunny Faris' siren song vocals lure the listener into an onslaught of fuzzed-out doomgaze riffage. The album is heavy, but balanced with swirling atmospherics. 

Violence - Playboy Manbaby

Chaotic punk anthems for a burning, overstimulated, and terminally online world.