5 Albums That Defined the First Half of 2026
I didn’t seek out any of these albums deliberately. Most of them are from artists I didn’t even know about when the calendar flipped to 2026. But over the first six months of the year, these were the albums I always had on, reminding me of the joy of finding something new even if it’s old.
Afterlight - Sandor Gavin
TimeSlave Recordings is one of my favorite labels. Back up. It’s probably one of the only labels I could name. I’ve followed their releases on Bandcamp for quite some time. I was not familiar with Sandor Gavin, but the gorgeous cover of this album drew me in. I found myself playing the vinyl in the long dark winter evenings. The next day, I’d be streaming the album on Bandcamp all day long while at my desk, my gaze turning frequently to look out at the snow-covered landscape.
When it was released in January, the summery synth was a welcome escape in the mid-winter doldrums. As the seasons rolled on, the temps finally caught up with the sounds and it became the background for warm summer nights.
Woman - Rhye
This one isn’t new. But it was new to me. And when I heard “Open” for the first time, I had to put down what I was doing and play it again. And again. And again.
I had the whole album on repeat for most of the month of March. The melodies transported me, soothed my aching soul, every time I played it. I will always connect this album to the last flurried snowflakes of winter, tucked in for a Sunday Lie About, piles of good reading material around me.
Something to Give Each Other - Troye Sivan
Another not new but completely new to me album. I read a travel tip in Esquire about picking a single album to be the soundtrack to a vacation and went searching for just the right one for our Europe trip. I narrowed it down to a handful, but this one and the Magdalena Bay album below were the two that stuck. My wife and I drove all over Germany, Austria, and Italy for two weeks with this blasting from the speakers.
Months after our trip, I put it on and I think about the morning we drove out of Salzburg, the sun angling down, windows open. Or getting lost trying to find the correct parking area for Stift Melk. Or stopping at a Raststätte and getting espresso in a real ceramic mug before strapping back into the car, Troye belting “I’ll be like one of your girls” as I roared my little wagon up to speed on the ramp for the autobahn.
It is a perfect pop album — just right for long summer days.
Mercurial World - Magdalena Bay
The other “Europe album” for me. I’d never heard of this band before. The beats are catchy, but mellow enough to provide the background for a long afternoon driving through Brenner Pass. Perfect driving music.
It makes me think of hot sun over the mountains along Lake Iseo and winding up narrow roads to a winery in Franciacorta. Soft morning light on the roof tiles of a German village, a bulbous steeple rising into the cool air against a background of rolling fields. Evenings that were too warm, lying in bed on top of the covers, trying in vain to cool off with the tiny travel fan on the nightstand.
Stages - Midland
I’ve loved the old-school swinging country of Midland since their 2017 release On the Rocks. Each of their albums hits a little differently, but their crooning melodies and witty double-meaning lyrics are always the right groove.
I’ve loved putting this on in the car, driving through the rain for Saturday errands. It’s perfect for hot summer evenings on the back porch, the fan creating a breeze while the hummingbirds sing background vocals. It feels melancholy and laid-back and smooth all at once. Sorta like a tumbler of dark brown liquor. It scratches my country girl country music itch like nothing on the radio these days.
