10 Albums to Look Forward to in July 2026

With new albums from Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Kasabian, Quicksand, Pete Yorn, and Robyn Hitchcock, July’s release schedule has a curiously nostalgic air to it. It’s also a strikingly lean month for releases. To borrow a line from The Decemberists, “July, July, July, it never seemed so strange.” But fear not, there are gems buried in the calendar, and we’ve excavated ten of the best for you.

3 July

Madonna – Confessions II (Warner)
[Official] Pop 🇺🇸

In such a thin week for new releases, it would feel disingenuous to choose anything other than Confessions II. While it’s the first Madonna album since 2019’s Madame X, it’s far more notably her first project with producer Stuart Price since 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor—arguably the last time Madonna sounded essential. Andrew Watt, fresh from his success with Paul McCartney, is also involved. (DC)

10 July

Kelela - new avatar (Warp)
[Bandcamp] Alternative R&B

Every new drop from the alt-R&B talent is a discovery, and new avatar is certainly not an exception. In her long-awaited return since 2023’s Raven, the established Warp artist brings guest appearances from artists such as PinkPantheress, Fousheé, and A. K. Paul. Collaborating with producer Oscar Sheller, who has worked with the likes of PinkPantheress and Shygirl, her next transformation should satisfy her fans to the core. (JR)

Panda Bear & Sonic Boom – A ? of WHEN (Domino)
[Bandcamp] Psychedelic 🇺🇸/🇬🇧

Panda Bear and Sonic Boom’s wonderful 2022 collaboration Reset cracked our 50 Best Albums of 2022 list, with Mark Moody declaring it “a work of great beauty and joy,” and pleading for a follow-up. Four years on, Mark’s prayers are answered with A ? of WHEN, which promises an evolution rather than recreation of their 50s/60s sample-based approach. (DC)

17 July

Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist (Hijinxx/Island)
[Bandcamp] Pop/Jungle 🇬🇧

You have to appreciate a title as direct as Emotional Junglist. Following her Mercury-nominated debut, 2024’s Silence is Loud, the British singer, producer, DJ, and professional junglist begins a new era. It’s jungle music, and it’ll make you feel things, most likely of the euphoric kind. Sign me up. (JR)

Yard Act – You’re Gonna Need a Little Music (Republic)
[Bandcamp] Post-punk 🇬🇧

I had a visceral reaction to Yard Act’s debut The Overload. I just didn’t enjoy their generic, brash take on post-punk at all. But much to my surprise, when the Leeds band changed things up in 2024 on Where’s My Utopia?, I found myself coming round to their charms. I love it when a band forces me to eat humble pie, and You’re Gonna Need a Little Music sounds like a promising next step for the restless Yorkshire quartet. (DC)

24 July

Ian Sweet – Shiverstruck (Polyvinyl)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

Shiverstruck is LA-based songwriter Jillian Medford’s fifth full-length, and third for Polyvinyl. The early previews hint at a refinement of her sound, suggesting this could be a rather pleasant highlight in a relatively thin month. (DC)

Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film (Atlantic)
[Official] Pop 🇬🇧

Charli is at it again, and she’s ready to rock. What more is there to say? (JR)

The Strokes – Reality Awaits (RCA)
[Official] Rock 🇺🇸

The Strokes were so upset at us for not including them in last month’s album preview that they decided to push Reality Awaits to this month. Ok, that's obviously not true. But on a lighter month of releases, we couldn’t ignore the rock titans anymore. The band’s seventh studio album has us a little perplexed by their heavy use of Auto-Tune, but truthfully, bringing back self-proclaimed “lazy workaholic” veteran producer Rick Rubin on board after their somewhat tepid The New Abnormal is even more perplexing. I’m keeping an open mind, of course, so I hope I’m proven wrong. (JR)

28 July

Shannon Lay – Past The Veil (All the Best)
[Bandcamp] Folk rock 🇺🇸

Los Angeles-based folk-rock singer-songwriter Shannon Lay has a new album coming out late next month called Past The Veil.  While I associate her music as having a more autumnal tone, the more band-oriented direction she’s taking—from what I've heard so far—seems ripe for sun-drenched road trips. I loved her previous release, Geist, so I have very high expectations for any new music by Lay. (JR)

31 July

Shearwater – The New World (Polyborus)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

In a month defined by huge pop records, it seems only fitting that I sign off by embracing my inner middle-aged man. I have a strong feeling that Jonathan Meiburg’s Shearwater project has something special in store for us and as a long-time fan of the band, I can’t wait to find out if my gut—another mid-40s calling card—is right. (DC)