Bonus Best Of May!
Four more albums for your consideration...
Soon it will be time to start thinking about the best albums of the first half of 2026. That stresses me out, so I’m refusing to move on from May, at least for a little while longer.
Last week’s roundup featured cute little index cards to help you understand more easily which new releases you’ll enjoy. I made four more of them, because May was stacked.
The Best Albums of May 2026
Remember when I complained about how little context release calendars have? And then I made an adorable imaginary info card that I would use in my fantasy new album tracker?
Below, enjoy some indie pop, African-infused krautrock, grungy shoegaze, and soulful electronica. Do it now, because Friday was the single beefiest release day in 2026, and you’ll want to make room to digest it (and all the midyear lists that are already hitting your inboxes) ASAP.
Or don’t, because music should be enjoyed at whatever pace feels good.
Later skaters.
xo,
Gabbie
Today’s bonus albums are a freebie for everyone!
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P.S.
The Best of May playlist is here.
All the other Best Of roundups are here.
All the NBfOH playlists are here.
The directory of all the bands I’ve recommended (ever!) is here.
Upupayāma - Honesty Flowers
Start with: “Mystic Chords of Memory”
POM - Enlightened, baby
Start with: “LOVERS”
Mad Honey - Bridge Over Cumberland
Start with: “Somehow”
Elder Island - Hello Baby Okay
Start with: “Bang”
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POM album ended up sneaking into my May favorites as well. I read somewhere that the band described it as "glitter, pink and pop with a capital P. " Not the norm for an album about grief and loss, but it works for me!