Something Worth Waiting For: Six New Albums I Can’t Stop Thinking About

Featuring Friko, Jo Passed, Green-House, and more deep cuts

Keeping up with music and pop culture sometimes feels like a full-time job in itself. Being constantly inundated with “what’s up and coming” and “what people are talking about” can be exhausting and sometimes unavoidable if you’re any degree of “online” (which, unfortunately, I am). And while I love a lot of stuff that gets broader notice, I find myself more and more wanting to retreat back into crates and corners of the Internet to find something new.

I wrote extensively last week about my love of the band Remy Zero and how that lit a fire in me to seek out new sounds and uplift artists that might not be getting the notice I think they deserve. That idea’s been heavy on my mind, and it reminded me again of all the music I’ve been listening to lately that I feel like I haven’t shared enough.

So, once again, I’m breaking out the graph paper, pens, and markers to make my case for six records I’ve been loving thus far in 2026. Is it a little early to do something like this? Isn’t that more of a June thing? Yeah, maybe. But who makes those rules anyway? These records have been moving me, and it’d kill me to hold onto them any longer. From anxious guitar wizardry to dreamlike jazz, I think all of these albums deserve a listen, and I hope you check them out.

Jo Passed - Away

Sometimes a band re-enters your life and you see them with new eyes. That’s the case for me and Jo Passed. Back when they were based out of Vancouver, B.C., I remember Jo Passed played frequently around Seattle in the late 2010s (that’s a crazy phrase to think about). There were a slew of guitar bands around at the time, and the thing I remembered most about Jo Passed was just how much they ripped and how wild their guitars sounded live. They put out their cheekily named debut in 2018 (Their Prime… as in Jo Passed their prime) and, honestly, I lost track of them in the ensuing years.

Then earlier this year, Jo Passed returned with a new album, Away, on Tacoma, Wash., label Youth Riot Records. The naming keeps with the cheekiness – Jo Passed away, long live Jo. I gave the album a cursory listen, mostly for nostalgia’s sake, and moved on. But then I kept coming back. There’s something here that draws me beyond nostalgia. Now, I feel like I’ve become a bigger fan than I ever was.

Away is sneaky like that. The band’s namesake, Jo Hirabayashi, is now the main force in the band, taking on songwriting, production, and playing numerous instruments on the album while bringing in some friends along the way. In a world inundated with countless “pretty good” indie rock albums floating around Bandcamp, there’s a polish to the craft on Away that I feel goes unrecognized.

The title is an acknowledgment of the time away from the band and Hirabayashi dealing with some mental health struggles. He views life through the eyes of his cat on the standout “Ico,” which also has one of the coolest synthesizer woooom sounds this side of Hans Zimmer. He turns innocuous lawbreaking into an existential crisis on “J Walking.”

Hirabayashi’s guitar work is remarkable as well, crafting tangled, wobbly licks that are just as bewildering as they are catchy. I find myself humming the spastic riff to “Precious Word” all the time. The best moments on the record are when all these elements come together, like on “Too Much Thought,” where he sonically and lyrically creates a poignant reflection on anxiety and getting stuck in a thought pattern. Too real.

I really can’t stop listening to this album. It’s a reminder to me to go back and revisit bands I’ve known and loved over the years. Jo Passed was away, but I’m so glad they’re back.

Green-House - Hinterlands

In recent years, Green-House have become one of my favorite acts in modern ambient music. I was sold right away by their 2019 debut Six Songs for Invisible Gardens and have been so impressed by how the band has continually evolved their sound without losing the naturalistic elements that feel central to their ethos.

Green-House records always have a calming presence. The second I put on one of their albums, it feels like sinking back into the grass – a prime cloud-watching soundtrack. Hinterlands is their first release for Ghostly International, and it’s maybe their grooviest album yet. While the music still carries its softness, the bass and synthesizers feel a little more buoyant this time around, taking cues from artists like Haruomi Hosono and the blissful moments in the Final Fantasy soundtracks.

The opening tones of “Sun Dogs” establish right away that this record will be something of a departure while still feeling within the Green-House universe. The plodding bass and emerging horns and soft drums open up a whole new musical world for the group. Moments like “Farewell, Little Island” really capture this sense of beauty but also adventure. Even if the music maintains a low-key demeanor, it never sacrifices its curiosity and sense of discovery.

The duo feels more free than ever. There’s a looseness to the record that feels wistful and exciting, like drifting out to sea. Allowing themselves to expand their sonic palette by bringing in new instruments and ideas keeps them sounding fresh. Green-House continue to impress, and it’s exciting to imagine where they might go next.

Friko - Something Worth Waiting For

Indie rock can easily veer into nostalgia, but few are able to wield it into something that also still feels fresh and new. Chicago band Friko’s latest album, Something Worth Waiting For, is a masterclass in anthemic indie rock that feels urgent and emotionally candid.

Listening to this record made me feel like I was discovering indie music in the early 2000s all over again. I say that hesitantly because I don’t want to paint Friko as just cribbing from the past and repackaging it for modern audiences. It just feels like they’re tapped into that same source that gave us early Death Cab for Cutie and Band of Horses. It’s the sound of a band swinging for the fences, using every instrument, chorus, and hook at their disposal.

These songs are immediate and abundant. String sections, wallops of distorted guitars crescendoing, thunderous drums crashing in the background, and tender moments that feel like peering into the band’s inner worlds.

The title track feels destined for a sweaty sing-along in front of a packed basement crowd. “Seven Degrees” keeps you guessing with each turn and key change, continually upping the ante. They even make phonetic train sounds feel emotionally devastating on “Choo Choo.” Friko has tremendous promise. This feels like an album that’ll sink its teeth into a whole generation.

Harsh Riddims 5

I’ve been highly anticipating the next edition in the Harsh Riddims compilation series since their incredible Harsh Riddims Vol. 4 dropped during the pandemic. I played every song on that compilation to death and became obsessed with what the label has been creating over the years.

Harsh Riddims is run by Ryan Park – an artist, skater, and musician. He puts out incredible deep house music under the moniker Fit of Body. Park started the label in Atlanta, but it seems he’s since relocated to Los Angeles. Park’s described the label in the past as “a big art project.” He handcrafts the artwork for the releases himself and has cultivated a roster of seriously underrated underground artists like Taves and Solano Candy. He’s also been early to highlight artists like Black Noi$e, System Olympia, and Coco & Clair Clair.

These compilations are always a treat because I never know what to expect. Harsh Riddims 5 is true to this tradition. I recognized exactly one name on this track list before listening, which is exactly what I hoped for. I love digging for new music and sounds, but ultimately all of us are going to have limitations and miss out on something great. I have so much faith in Park’s curation that I knew I would love this before even pressing play.

Opening track “Does The Frame Destroy The Picture” aptly captures the Harsh Riddims aesthetic – lo-fi synthesizers, crooning vocals, with just the right amount of beautiful abstraction in its lyrics. Then there’s the immediate left turn with a remix of Outkast’s classic “Prototype” by I Know Jones, taking the wistful psych-ballad and turning it into a chaotic drum-and-bass banger. Baby Hound’s steamy “Window” has perfect late-night-drive vibes with its minimalist pulse and shockingly groovy bass line. And speaking of bass, Life on Planets’ “Pathos” has a funky groove that feels stripped out of Thriller and reimagined for the late-night after-party. Closer “Pummel Trajectory” by Bathcrones feels like the last climactic high on the dance floor before the party’s over, one more chance to sweat it all out before going back to “real life.”

Harsh Riddims compilations are a testament to great curation and discovery. Park has created something really special here that was well worth the wait.

Resavoir - Themes for Dreams

I have a general rule of thumb – if an album has a sheep on the cover and it’s anywhere near “ambient” territory in its approach, I’m going to love it. (And while we’re at it, shout out to The Sheep Detectives. Great movie.) It worked for The KLF, and it works here with Resavoir’s latest album, Themes for Dreams.

Resavoir is a project helmed by Chicago jazz artist Will Miller. He’s worked with everyone from jazz acts like Brandee Younger and emerging experimentalists like Sen Morimoto to mainstream acts like Justin Bieber and SZA. It’s easy to see why artists gravitate toward him – his work is wildly inventive, but Miller always feels like a steady presence, keeping disparate elements together through his production wizardry.

As the title implies, there’s a dreaminess to Themes for Dreams. That tone has been present in his past work, but it’s even more apparent here. Themes for Dreams is devoid of drums. Instead, the rhythms come from swooning guitar arpeggios, synthesizer swells, and the wistful rising and falling notes of saxophones and strings. It feels like that weird ethereal space between sleep and consciousness – where everything feels hazy, the world doesn’t feel real, but you can still feel your head on the pillow to let you know you’re still here.

More Eaze - sentence structure in the country

I’ve fallen quickly in love with More Eaze’s music. I wasn’t familiar with her work until I heard her on the excellent The Thinking of the World Began Pounding in Our Ears the Moment We Hit Shore album, also released earlier this year.

Artists using auto-tune and vocal effects isn’t necessarily something new in 2026. Over the last couple decades in particular, we’ve become attuned (heh) to it. Yet, there’s something so fresh about how More Eaze approaches her craft. Maybe it’s the timbre of her natural voice and how it gleams through the effects. Yet I can’t help but get a sense of mastery in how she processes her vocals. Every note feels intentional in how it’s sung and how it’s transformed. I feel that across all 10 tracks on her latest album, sentence structure in the country.

The album was crafted as she made a cross-country move, delving into these feelings of change and wonder. It’s the perfect prompt for an artist whose voice feels like it’s constantly changing and evolving. It’s a mesmerizing listen, both feeling like a grand sweeping opus and an intimate, private plea for understanding as the landscapes change around her.

The synthetic sounds of her vocal effects mixed with the raw human emotion she’s conveying is a powerful combination. Hearing layers of auto-tune over a banjo like on “healing attempt” shouldn’t work, and yet it feels effortless in the hands of More Eaze. The technology and emotions are familiar, but the pairing and execution of them together feels completely fresh and new.

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