Gorillaz – “The Mountain”
Britpop icon turned synthpop legend Damon Albarn and his cartoon collective Gorillaz came through with their ninth studio album, “The Mountain,” an epic, conceptual, and genre-blending project heavily rooted in Indian culture. Before the making of the album, Albarn and the co-creator of the Gorillaz image, Jamie Hewlett, traveled to India in order to process the death of their fathers, who passed away only a week apart. When traveling in the subcontinent, he explored Indian culture musically and religiously in the wake of his grief. Nearly all aspects of his journey appear in the lyrics and music of this album, exploring themes of mortality and religion laced within winding sitars and colorfully produced synths. Albarn explores numerous genres within the album’s hour-long run time, from hip-hop and reggaeton on “The Manifesto” to bedroom pop on the moving “Orange County” or even the ambiance created among the sitars on the instrumental opening “The Mountain,” making this album a melting pot of numerous sonic fields. Gorillaz’s new album is easily the most cohesive and conceptual album since their 2010 opus “Plastic Beach,” proving Gorillaz to still be among the most exciting pop outfits in the mainstream, even two decades past their 2003 self-titled debut.
GENA – “The Pleasure Is Yours”
Singer Liv.e and drummer/producer Karriem Riggins join forces to form the duo GENA and their first collaborative effort under this name, “The Pleasure Is Yours.” With the length of an album but the flow of a mixtape, Liv.e and Riggins come through with a surprisingly mature debut, mixing R&B, funk, hip-hop, and jazz through Liv.e’s soulful and intimate vocal performance and Riggin’s creative drum loops. Yet even more impressive than the duo’s surprising yet effortless chemistry is the lack of samples. All the clear horn licks and drum loops chopped and layered behind Liv.e’s vocals are all done originally through the backing band, making the sonic aspects of this album even more impressive. The witty lyricism, cohesive flow, and minimal yet rich production make this a masterful debut and one of the best albums you will catch in 2026.
Jill Scott – “To Whom This May Concern”
R&B legend Jill Scott, who first broke into the early 2000s mainstream circuit with songs such as “A Long Walk” or “The Way,” came through with her first album in over a decade. Consistency among long projects can be a hard tide to fight against, as the longer the album, the more room for underwhelming material. But what Scott pulls off after her decade-long silence is among the greatest R&B and neo- soul albums of this decade. Spanning 19 tracks and nearly an hour-long run time, Scott pushes song after song of expressive vocals and rich, enveloping production with the consistency and variety in material to keep you hooked the moment you press play. Scott’s performance not only displays the versatility and range she incorporates into the many musical fields she covers, but also solidifies her as a neo-soul great. From the explosiveness of Scott’s soaring vocals and scorching horns on the anthemic “Be Great,” the album opens on a bold note, yet transitions into the velvet-smooth and heartfelt “Beautiful People,” a celebratory soul ballad toward the love she expresses for her culture. “Pay U on Tuesday” delivers Scott covering the blues field on Chew’s Album Choices By Sam Chew a raunchy and playfully unapologetic note. Deeper in the tracklist, Ab-Soul and JID are featured, who match Jill Scott’s dynamic and abstract energy perfectly. Scott’s wonderfully rich, versatile, beautifully touching, and meaningful project is something to behold in terms of production, performance, and near-flawless execution.
Other Great Releases
Neurosis – “An Undying Love for a Burning World”
Thundercat – “Distracted”
My New Band Believe – “My New Band Believe (Self-Titled)”
Converge – “Love Is Not Enough”
J. Cole – “The Fall Off ”
By Storm – “My Ghosts Go Ghost”
