Jawdropped – Secret to Spare
Jawdropped add their own spin to ‘90s alternative rock, with sharp performances and even sharper songwriting.
Editor / Founder
David Coleman
David founded No Ripcord in 1999. Alongside his work as a doctor, he writes about music, sport, science and medicine for a variety of publications.
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Reviews
2026
2026
Bloc Party – Anatomy of a Brief Romance
Bloc Party’s atrocious seventh album is an immature embarrassment with very few redeeming qualities.
2026
The Tubs – Hard Life
Jangle, folk, power pop, fuzzy college rock—it shouldn’t work, but no one has told The Tubs that.
2026
Lily Seabird – Lightspheres on Their Way
The Burlington, Vermont singer-songwriter takes flight on her third album.
2026
Dinosaur Jr. – There Near
Dinosaur Jr.’s 13th album—and first for five years—is another solid entry in one of indie rock’s most consistent discographies.
2026
Interpol – This Mirror Weighs a Ton
It’s been a tough run for Interpol since the highs of Antics, but their re-energised eighth album marks a glorious shift in fortunes.
2026
Wild Pink – Still Coming Down
If Dulling The Horns was a rebirth for John Ross’ band, Still Coming Down is an abrupt loss of momentum.
2026
Westside Cowboy – It Goes On
Confident, varied, and unashamedly fun, It Goes On is an astonishing debut album that announces a bold new talent.
2026
Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal – DOOMED!
Now this is a break-up album. Long-time friends Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal team up for a razor-sharp record that showcases their impressive skills.
2026
Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend
Six years after her breakthrough moment, Phoebe Bridgers’ third album is a timely reminder that more is frequently less.
2026
Man/Woman/Chainsaw – Cannonball
Man/Woman/Chainsaw have found the perfect sweet-spot between edgy weirdness and tasteful sophistication. Their glorious debut is a delight.
2026
Charli XCX – Music, Fashion, Film
Music, Fashion, Film’s lead single “Rock Music” triggered a thousand opinion pieces on Charli’s latest pivot, but my take is far simpler: it just isn’t very good.
2026
Swapmeet – Mount Zero
Sometimes a debut album is just ok. Some good moments, some bad ones, but mostly in the middle. Mount Zero is one of those records. And that’s perfectly ok.
2026
Hurry – Zoned Out
Philadelphia power pop stalwarts Hurry have delivered the goods on their consistently appealing sixth album.
2026
Zoon – Happy Thought School
Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman follows two records of hazy moccasin-gaze with a more ambitious exploration of adolescent trauma.
2026
Vince Staples – Cry Baby
For all the noisy guitars, there is so much more to Cry Baby—lyrically, thematically, and even musically—that exemplifies the very best of Hip Hop.
2026
MONO – Snowdrop
The Japanese post-rock veterans honour long-time producer Steve Albini on their wonderful thirteenth album.
2026
Liz Lawrence – Vespers
Liz Lawrence’s Vespers—a beautiful tribute to her late sister Jessie’s tragically short life—will undoubtedly resonate with listeners seeking comfort and understanding in times of grief.
2026
Death Cab For Cutie – I Built You A Tower
Forged in the furnaces of nostalgia of despair, I Built You A Tower is Death Cab’s strongest record in two decades and a powerful return to form.
2026
Of Montreal – aethermead
Thirty years into a storied career, Kevin Barnes is back with another break-up record—but can aethermead help to reverse Of Montreal’s creative decline?
2026
Greg Mendez – Beauty Land
Philadelphia based singer-songwriter Greg Mendez was one of 2023’s unexpected success stories. Can his first full-length for Dead Oceans survive the weight of expectation?
2026
Boards of Canada – Inferno
13 years after the superb Tomorrow’s Harvest, Scottish duo Boards of Canada turn their attention to religion on the apocalyptic Inferno.
2026
Marisa Anderson – The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music
Inspired by source material from Harry Smith’s immense archives, Portland-based guitarist Marisa Anderson has crafted an important and mesmerising work of majestic folk music.
2026
Drake – ICEMAN
The battered and bruised Canadian star attempts to reclaim his throne by releasing three records on the same day. Worryingly, Iceman is arguably the best of the three.
2026
The Lemon Twigs – Look For Your Mind!
The Lemon Twigs are reliable purveyors of pristine power pop with a side of nostalgia—but is it enough?
2026
Cindy – Another Country
Cindy’s intoxicating fusion of slowcore and indie pop makes the San Francisco quartet one of the best quiet bands in the business.
2026
Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere
Kacey Musgraves showcases her wit and warmth, as she returns to her country roots on Middle of Nowhere, a sumptuously produced record with enough sharp songwriting to outweigh its occasional missteps.
2026
Friko – Something Worth Waiting For
Friko’s second album is full of thrilling songs and big moments, but its relentless maximalism leaves little room to breathe.
2026
Teen Suicide – Nude Descending Staircase Headless
Sam and Kitty Ray’s latest release for Run For Cover is Teen Suicide’s first studio album.
2026
Prism Shores – Softest Attack
Montreal janglers Prism Shores make their bold leap into the indie pop major leagues with Softest Attack.
2026
Makthaverskan – Glass and Bones
Gothenburg’s Makthaverskan return with Glass and Bones, a fiercely confident album that expands their post-punk roots with shades of jangle pop, goth rock, and shoegaze.
2026
Girl Scout – Brink
The debut album from Stockholm’s Girl Scout is a confident, varied set of indie rock tunes that marks them out as a band to watch.
2026
Brigitte Calls Me Baby – Irreversible
Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s Irreversible aims for grandeur, gloss and breakout buzz, but beneath the sheen lies a hollow, derivative record short on risk, substance and memorable songwriting.
2026
ELUCID & Sebb Bash – I Guess U Had To Be There
The follow-up to 2024’s abrasive Revelator sees NYC rapper ELUCID teaming up with Swiss producer Sebb Bash.
2026
Cut Worms – Transmitter
On Transmitter, Max Clarke enlists Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy to subtly refresh the Cut Worms formula, honouring his classic rock influences without sounding trapped by them.
2026
Book of Churches – Book of Churches
Divorce guitarist/vocalist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow explores sparse folk on his solo debut.
2026
Hater – Mosquito
Four years on from the well-received Sincere, Malmö’s Hater find themselves at a creative crossroads.
2026
RJD2 & Supastition – According To...
Hip Hop veterans RJD2 and Supastition deliver a mature, satisfying, and genuinely exciting record—reconnecting with the spirit of ’90s underground Hip Hop without falling into the familiar tropes that dilute the genre’s effectiveness today.
2026
Bill Callahan – My Days Of 58
Bill Callahan’s eighth album under his given name continues a remarkably consistent run that dates back to his Smog days.
2026
Nothing – A Short History of Decay
With their first new release since 2020, the Philly shoegazers are returning to a scene that has exploded in their absence. But is there still a place for Nothing’s heavy take on the genre?
2026
Hen Ogledd – DISCOMBOBULATED
The eccentric collective from the Old North deliver a charming record of proggy folk with a political edge.
2026
Charli XCX – Wuthering Heights
How do you follow a cultural phenomenon like BRAT? Charli XCX’s John Cale collaboration hinted at a wild left turn, but the curiously conservative Wuthering Heights feels like an exercise in retreat rather than reinvention.
2026
Remember Sports – The Refrigerator
Five years on from their last album, Philadelphia’s Remember Sports are back with tightened production and a stronger country twang.
2026
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Laughter In Summer
At 82, electronic music pioneer Beverly Glenn-Copeland meets his devastating diagnosis with characteristic grace. A mix of reworked classics and new songs, Laughter In Summer stands as a tender testament to his enduring love.
2026
Mandy, Indiana – URGH
Manchester quartet Mandy, Indiana have undoubtedly made a huge leap on their second album, URGH, but have they lost something in the process?
2026
Ratboys – Singin’ To An Empty Chair
Chicago’s Ratboys strike out on their sixth album, Singin’ To An Empty Chair. It’s an exquisitely produced work that many critics are calling their best work yet—but are they correct?
2026
Whitelands – Sunlight Echoes
The London shoegazers return with a cleaner sound on their second album for Sonic Cathedral.
2026
Tyler Ballgame – For The First Time, Again
Tyler Ballgame sings like he’s possessed by the ghosts of the entire Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Roy Orbison, chiefly. But does his debut album rise above the level of pastiche?
2026
IDK – E.T.D.S. A Mixtape by .idk.
Maryland rapper IDK hits new heights on his latest mixtape, which features MF DOOM, RZA, Pusha T, and a top-notch cast of producers.
2026
Fazed on a Pony – swan
Auckland based singer-songwriter Peter McCall makes a giant leap on his latest release, serving up indie rock with a side of alternative country.
2026
A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb
New York rapper A$AP Rocky struggles to find consistency on his fourth LP—and first since 2018’s lacklustre Testing.
2026
Sleaford Mods – The Demise of Planet X
The post-punk duo Sleaford Mods had a moment, but that moment has long since passed. Their descent into self-parody accelerates on their dismal thirteenth album.
2026
Winged Wheel – Desert So Green
Winged Wheel’s third album of subtle, restrained experimental rock rewards attention.
2026
Private Wives – Three Of Swords
Wollongong’s Private Wives burst onto the scene with a ferocious punk debut that punches back against the odds.
2026
Pullman – III
The Chicago supergroup’s first album in 25 years is a quiet testament to their friendship, forged in the face of adversity.
2025
Sharp Pins – Balloon Balloon Balloon
Kai Slater’s latest exercise in British Invasion-inspired indie rock is a more chaotic affair than his breakout hit, Radio DDR.
2025
Lush – Gala (35th Anniversary Edition)
Gala compiles Lush’s early material—a mini-album and two EPs—and highlights a remarkable period of growth for the dream pop / shoegaze band.
2025
Sorry – Cosplay
The North London band’s third full-length is a confident, genre-hopping beast.
2025
Anna von Hausswolff – Iconoclasts
Swedish experimental musician (and pipe organ enthusiast) Anna von Hausswolff goes pop, in her own unique fashion.
2025
Snocaps – Snocaps
The Crutchfield sisters, Katie (Waxahatchee) and Allison (Swearin’), are joined by guitarist MJ Lenderman and producer Brad Cook on this surprise project’s heartwarming debut.
2025
Hilary Woods – Night CRIÚ
On Night CRIÚ, Irish polymath Hilary Woods has found the sweet spot between her two contrasting musical personas—the avant-garde drone architect and the cerebral dream-pop minimalist.
2025
Adults – The Seeds We Sow Are Sprouting Buds Nonetheless
The latest full-length from South London indie-pop band adults sinks under the weight of its admirable ambition.
2025
Mobb Deep – Infinite
The first Mobb Deep record to be released since Prodigy’s tragic death is a tasteful addition to the group’s legacy.
2025
The Antlers – Blight
An understated reflection on climate change and the damage caused by humanity, Blight is arguably Peter Silberman’s best work since his 2009 opus, Hospice.
2025
Teenage Tom Petties – Rally The Tropes
Safe Suburban Home’s transatlantic lo-fi indie rockers strike gold on their fourth full-length.
2025
The Last Dinner Party – From The Pyre
The London band’s second album sees them doubling down on their formula and utilising a strikingly familiar set of ingredients.
2025
The Telephone Numbers – Scarecrow II
Scarecrow II feels like a breakthrough moment for The Telephone Numbers, the sound of a band moving beyond the limitations of a genre and striking out in search of something bigger.
2025
Club 8: Seasonal Echoes
Over the course of a thirty year career, Johan Angergård and Karolina Komstedt’s Club 8 project has enchanted listeners with its perfectly formed indie pop.
2025
Wednesday – Bleeds
Rat Saw God was No Ripcord’s favourite album of 2023. Can Wednesday’s follow-up solidify their place in indie rock’s top tier?
2025
The Expert – Vivid Visions
Irish producer The Expert takes a leap on this psychedelic indie rap odyssey. Buck 65, PremRock, and Blu guest.
2025
Creative Writing – Baby Did This
Orange, Massachusetts band serve up indie rock with a side of jangle on this impressive debut.
2025
Brian D’Addario – Till The Morning
One half of prodigious sibling duo The Lemon Twigs goes solo with spectacular results. David Coleman reviews.
2024
Christopher Owens – I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair
Former Girls frontperson Christopher Owens finally fulfils his solo potential.
2024
The Umbrellas – Fairweather Friend
The San Francisco indie pop quartet strikes gold on their second album.
2023
Boygenius – the record
The record is not an epoch-defining instant classic. It’s just fine.
2023
Hamish Hawk – Angel Numbers
Hamish Hawk is an outsider’s outsider with a fast-track ticket to natural treasure status.
2023
Complete Mountain Almanac – Complete Mountain Almanac
Initially intended as a twelve song suite about climate change, Complete Mountain Almanac ended up becoming a record cancer survivorship following Jessica Dessner’s diagnosis.
2022
Alvvays – Blue Rev
The Canadian band delivers perfection on their third album.
2022
Animal Collective – Time Skiffs
The band’s fourth post-MPP release is easy-going and even a little boring.
2021
Dinosaur Jr. – Sweep It Into Space
Dinosaur Jr.’s twelfth album is one of their strongest post-reformation efforts.
2021
Weezer – Van Weezer
A patchy yet pleasantly surprising new Weezer record.
2007
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Animal Collective’s seventh album is their best yet.
2007
Interpol – Our Love to Admire
Interpol’s third album makes for an inconsistent major label debut.
Features
2026
Were 2009’s Defining Indie Landmarks Ultimately a Dead End?
Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear defined indie music in 2009, but in hindsight both Merriweather and Veckatimest feel like the end of something special rather than the new beginning we were promised at the time.
2026
Tramlines 2026 Review: Sheffield’s Biggest Party Exceeds the Sum of Its Parts
Sheffield’s biggest festival delivered a weekend of nostalgia interspersed with moments of brilliance.
2026
World Cup Fever: Where Music Meets Football and Fashion
Through its stunning World Cup-inspired collaboration with premium designers Full Kit, venerable indie label 4AD is the latest musical institution to venture into the world of football fashion. We explore this growing trend and consider the wider relationships between music, football, and fashion.
2026
The Clash’s Live Debut: Sheffield’s Punk Moment That Wasn’t
50 years ago today, The Clash played their first gig in Sheffield, supporting Sex Pistols. An outraged gig-goer claimed that “both bands were crap,” but what was the show really like? And what impact did it have on the city?
2026
Are We Human? Why The Killers and the Enhanced Games Make An Unseemly Match
The Killers’ decision to headline the Enhanced Games closing ceremony is a grubby example of music-washing and should be condemned as such.
2026
Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield
Daniel Dylan Wray’s Groovy, Laidback & Nasty is a meticulously researched history of Sheffield music that captures the city’s strange mix of creativity, humility, and myth-making. Its appeal will extend far beyond the city’s boundaries.
2026
Iceage, Brigitte Calls Me Baby and the Questions Music Journalists Won’t Ask
Iceage once faced intense scrutiny for provocative imagery. In 2026, similar questions often go unasked. The spark for this piece? Brigitte Calls Me Baby—and the band name music journalists mention, but rarely interrogate.
2026
Interpol Interview (2003)
In this 2003 interview, Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino discusses their breakthrough success, Joy Division comparisons, and the creative instincts shaping the New York quartet.
2025
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.
2025
The Worst Albums of 2025
Enough of the positivity. It's time to get critical. What were 2025's worst reviewed records? And what do they say about the state of music criticism?
2025
My Bloody Valentine: Live at Aviva Studios, Manchester
The Irish shoegaze legends have a unique relationship with noise. The passage of time has not dulled their potency.
2025
Waiting for Jesso
Tobias Jesso Jr. wowed critics in 2015 with his stunning debut, Goon. Was his long-awaited follow-up worth waiting for?
2025
Remembering Sam Jayne, Five Years On
Next month marks the fifth anniversary of Sam Jayne’s death. The former Lync and Love as Laughter man was only 46 years old when he passed away, leaving behind a strong legacy of wonderful music.
2025
The Best Swervedriver Songs, Ranked
Swervedriver’s beguiling fusion of rock and shoegaze set them apart from Creation labelmates Ride, Slowdive, and My Bloody Valentine. These are the band’s twenty best songs.
2025
No Ripcord: The Home of Honest Music Criticism
No Ripcord is back with a renewed focus and a website that actually works.
2025
MF DOOM: A Beginner’s Guide
Twenty years on from the end of his imperial phase, this tasty playlist serves up a easy to digest introduction to rap’s original 'super villain'.
2025
Straight Outta… Spalding?
How did a Lincolnshire power pop legend end up on a Hip Hop classic? David Coleman investigates.
2025
Be Here Now: The Enduring Influence of Oasis
Echoes of the Manchester band's sound can be heard far beyond the lad rock of Kasabian and White Lies. David Coleman explores their complicated legacy.