10 Albums to Look Forward to in January 2026
As the dust settles on our 2025 retrospectives, we are turning our attention to the year ahead. 2026’s release schedule already gives us some clues as to what musical delights lie ahead. To make things easier for you to keep track, we’ve collected ten highlights for January.
As the dust settles on our 2025 retrospectives, we are turning our attention to the year ahead. 2026’s release schedule already gives us some clues as to what musical delights lie ahead. To make things easier for you to keep track, we’ve collected ten highlights for January. This isn’t necessarily about the biggest releases, and we’re certainly not guaranteeing greatness here—but these records are definitely the ones we’re most excited to get our hands on.
Speaking of release schedules, you can find a regularly updated overview of what’s coming up right here on No Ripcord:
David Coleman
Dry Cleaning’s third album Secret Love (4AD, 9 Jan) is one of the first heavyweight releases of the year. Cate Le Bon replaces John Parrish on production duties, adding a newfound freshness to the London-based post-punk outfit’s sound. The year usually starts slow, so mark this one as a must-hear release in an otherwise quiet week.
If you prefer your punk without the post, Wollongong, Australia’s Private Wives have you covered. I’m yet to hear Three of Swords (Farmer and the Owl, 9 Jan) in its entirety, but the three lead singles, and especially “Haymaker,” ooze promise. I love punk music that plays with hard and soft elements, and the harmonies on display here almost take Private Wives into power pop territory.
Pullman, the Chicago-based acoustic supergroup featuring members of esteemed bands such as Tortoise and Codeine, initially formed in the late 1990s. III (Western Vinyl, 9 Jan), as the title suggests, is only their third album together, but the two tracks currently available on Bandcamp are fantastic. III was recorded between 2021 and 2023, in the aftermath of drummer Tim Barnes’ diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. There’s an audible sense of community and friendship in the music, and I really can’t wait to get stuck into this one.
Texan folk artist Jana Horn returns with her self-titled third album (No Quarter, 16 Jan). Expect sparse compositions and a literary slant to the lyrics.
We’re huge fans of Spanish label Meritorio, and its first release of the year is by an intriguing New Zealand songwriter, Peter McCall’s project, Fazed on a Pony. Swan (Meritorio, 23 Jan) sits at that satisfying intersection between alt country and indie rock, and will surely appeal to fans of Pavement and Silver Jews—both bands McCall has admitted a fondness for.
Inspired by a recent health scare, ElectroSoul (Stones Throw, 23 Jan) is the latest album from DJ Harrison, a.k.a. singer/songwriter/producer Devonne Harris. Its impressive cast of collaborators includes Yaya Bey, Pink Siifu, and Yazmin Lacey.
GUV, formerly known as Young Guv, is the solo project of former No Warning and Fucked Up member Ben Cook. 2022’s GUV IV was an underrated power pop, but rather than tread water, Warmer Than Gold (Run For Cover, 30 Jan) sees Cook tapping into the psychedelic side of 90s Britpop. If that conjures up Kula Shaker vibes, fear not: Cook is far too talented to go there.
Animal Collective member Geologist put out a limited edition cassette in 2018, but Can I Get A Pack Of Camel Lights? (Drag City, 30 Jan) is his first bona fide album release. It is also, rather strikingly, a record dominated by the hurdy gurdy. Whatever you’re imagining, however, is likely way off base—this is the hurdy gurdy as you’ve never heard it before.
There is no discernible hurdy gurdy on the fourth album from LA-via-Portland band, Blackwater Holylight. The early teasers from Not Here Not Gone (Suicide Squeeze, 30 Jan) showcase doomgaze guitars and contrasting shades of light and darkness—a perfect soundtrack for gloomy January days.
My final pick is The Soft Pink Truth, the longstanding side project from Drew Daniel of Matmos. Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? (Thrill Jockey, 30 Jan) continues Daniel’s trend of posing deep, philosophical questions in his album titles, and the early previews sound absolutely, well, delightful.
I’ve taken the liberty of compiling these picks in a short January 2026 Preview playlist on Spotify. Other streaming services are available.
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