1 May 2025
Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.
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Our archive of chart news from the past, and present.
Deerhoof Noble And Godlike In Ruin
Overall, Noble and Godlike in Ruin is a wonder Beats Per Minute
Self Esteem A Complicated Woman
Like the puritanical/Handmaid’s Tale artwork depicts, Taylor is screaming into the void, a pitch black nothingness that may or may not respond. But we do hear her; the void sings back and we gather around her, because this is what community does Beats Per Minute
Julien Baker & Torres Send A Prayer My Way
The singer-songwriters’ first collaborative album together is a sugary take on a long-worn country template. The stories they sing are necessary, even when the music plays it safe Paste Magazine
Sunflower Bean Mortal Primetime
Mortal Primetime is the sound of a band still standing, but unsure of which way to go next Spectrum Culture
Femi Kuti Journey Through Life
A socially conscious, politically engaged and highly critical album from the son of the legendary bandleader carries on the legacy of his family while working toward a better future Spectrum Culture
Emma-Jean Thackray Weirdo
It’s an unflinching self-portrait, soul music from the edge, a fever dream spun out in a single room. Spectrum Culture
Destroyer Dan's Boogie
Checking in at just under 37 minutes, Dan’s Boogie is Destroyer’s shortest album since 1996’s We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge. While 15 more minutes would delight, the runtime feels purposeful Under The Radar
Beirut A Study Of Losses
He has brought his usual gravitas and gifted us with a musical balm for present maladies. And treated us to the best kind of vacances when one can’t afford to buy a plane ticket Under The Radar
Self Esteem steps into a more grounded and rangy perspective. She’s overcome numerous challenges. She’s learned to live in the world and her own skin. She’s free PopMatters
Faced with unimaginable grief, the UK musician responded the only way she knew how: with an album of buoyant jazz-funk steeped in melody, vibrant color, and a sneaky sense of humor. Pitchfork
Mamalarky Hex Key
On their third album, the Atlanta indie rockers channel a tactful self-assurance while following their trippy, idiosyncratic impulses Pitchfork
The UK star repeats some of her breakout album’s formula but little of its lacerating insight on a record where the Big Feminist Statements feel frustratingly basic Pitchfork
Self Esteem has returned with one of the most important albums of 2025 Clash
The album is a triumph for Femi Kuti, reflecting his tireless dedication to his father’s legacy, in addition to his own artistic vision Far Out
The apple doesn't fall far, as they say, and a 62-year-old Femi is still raging against the system on Journey Through Life. Print edition only Record Collector
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"On their first album as a duo, the singers reclaim the honky-tonk music they grew up on" (9/10 - Slant). "A heart-bursting record that underlines the power of unity in a fractured world. A must-listen" (8/10 - Dork)
Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Spiritbox Tsunami Sea
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree
Frank Ocean Channel Orange