Paste Magazine has curated a list of 13 compelling new albums for streaming this week, featuring diverse genres from country to metalcore. Highlights include Jill Scott's long-awaited return and Charli XCX's gothic pop exploration.
Paste Magazine's weekly roundup emphasizes fresh releases that span indie rock, R&B, and black metal, urging listeners to discover new favorites. The selection kicks off with Angel Du$t's 'Cold 2 the Touch' on Run For Cover, described as a poppy, icy take on hardcore with tracks like 'Pain Is A Must' and guest appearances from God's Hate, Restraining Order, American Nightmare, and Terror.
August Ponthier's 'Everywhere Isn’t Texas' on Nowhereland Studios stands out as the best country album of 2026 so far, blending sci-fi elements with pop influences akin to CMAT and Chappell Roan. The Irish band Cardinals delivers noisy indie-rock on 'Masquerade' via So Young, with accordion-driven melodies in songs like 'I Like You' and nods to Fontaines D.C. and Modest Mouse.
Charli XCX's 'Wuthering Heights' on Atlantic draws from Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel, featuring avant-garde pop with John Cale and Sky Ferreira on tracks such as 'House' and 'Chains of Love.' Converge's 'Love Is Not Enough' on Epitaph reflects the metalcore band's 36-year tenure, addressing corporate and political issues bluntly.
Danny L Harle's 'Cerulean' on XL boasts guests like Caroline Polachek and Dua Lipa in proggy pop experiments. Hemlocke springs, aka Naomi Udu, explores Biblical themes on 'the apple tree under the sea' via AWAL, with tracks like 'moses' mixing gospel and breakbeats.
Jill Scott's 'To Whom This May Concern' on The Orchard marks her first album in 11 years since 'Woman,' fusing '60s funk and '90s boom-bap with guests including Tierra Whack and DJ Premier on songs like 'Beautiful People.' Other notables include Nashpaints' mysterious 'Everyone Good is Called Molly,' PONY's coming-of-age crunch-pop 'Clearly Cursed,' The Nude Party's country-rock 'Look Who’s Back,' Worm's black metal 'Foreverglade' with Megadeth's Marty Friedman, and Yellow Days' funky 'Rock and a Hard Place.' These releases offer a broad sonic landscape for 2026 listeners.