23 March 2026
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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Third album from the electro collaboration between Radioclit's Etienne Tron and Malawian singer Esau Lilongwe
7.2
Simple, sublime pop songs Read Review
A hybrid as thrilling as anything we’ve heard from Africa Express. Print edition only
A huge step forward on their earlier recordings. Print edition only
The same ingredients and patterns are there, but The Very Best now sound much more like a fully operational band, rather than a fortuitous hodgepodge of singing and sampling Read Review
Tracks like ‘Sweka’ wouldn’t sound out of place in any nightclub on the planet. The world, and your gran, will be dancing Read Review
You’ll shimmy and shake to “Sweka” and “Mwana Wanga”, but there’s a melancholic catch to “Hear Me” which will reel you back to the here and now Read Review
Multicultural act move to an African beat. Print edition only
As a snapshot of a country in turmoil, it’s a weighty, sometimes euphoric and completely compelling encapsulation of time and place Read Review
Sometimes cheese just tastes good Read Review
It's the group's most lived in and emotionally authentic sounding release to date Read Review
It doesn't matter whether you understand the language or not, it's all about what's conveyed in the intonation, which is illustrated beautifully in the sparkling "Mwanga Wanga" Read Review
When the chintzy synth chords and Ibiza-acceptable thump of "Mariana" lurch to the fore, it sounds like shameless pandering Read Review
Makes a King rarely makes a case for greatness. Rather it simply furthers The Very Best’s very particular aesthetic in a manner more enjoyable than revelatory Read Review
The results are a little one-paced: they lack the sense of adventure of the two earlier albums Read Review
Feels a bit one-note, though they can still hit that one note hard Read Review
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The Very Best: Makes a King
Ladytron Paradises
In an age when production is deliberately designed not to disturb listeners, Paradises may prove popular The Arts Desk
The cover artwork to Ladytron’s latest record Paradises adopts mind trickery by showing two hands touching through a triangle shape that looks both like a reflective mirror and a translucent window. Befitting artwork to hint at the content inside the triad’s album, which often takes the listener to places that are up to one’s own imagination and interpretation God Is In The TV
Ladytron head for the disco and relive the fun of 90s clubland The Skinny
Maybe Paradises could have been trimmed down a little, but their contagious creative zeal is apparent throughout its entirety. Ladytron have secured their iconic status once again, ensuring they become a cult band for an entirely new generation, or maybe more Under The Radar
The track I See Red radiates synth euphoria but the Pet Shop Boys-ish Death In London and single Kingdom Undersea are more about introspection than rapture. Print edition only Mojo
Momentum sags somewhat over its lengthy duration - but it also unquestionably features some of their finest, and funkiest, work to date. Print edition only Uncut
BTS ARIRANG
The group's journey to global domination has been nothing short of extraordinary, so it’s fitting that they have delivered an album that is of similarly epic proportions Rolling Stone UK
The barrier-breaking K-Pop icons return with a blockbuster album Clash
Ending a hiatus that began in 2022, the septet recapture a distinctiveness that had been threatening to ebb away The Guardian
Seven members attack the music with a ferocity that feels earned and personal. The album feels more often like seven individuals with real chemistry than one polished unit. The solo years gave each member a sharper creative identity, and RM’s instincts hold the whole thing together Consequence Of Sound
On its blockbuster return, the world's biggest band stresses group identity and South Korean roots, while pushing the songs into adventurous new territory Rolling Stone
Brigitte Calls Me Baby Irreversible
Irreversible sounds like a dead end: a lethargic monument to hollow style over substance, entirely on brand for a band that saddled their debut with one of the more ridiculous, faux-philosophical titles of recent years. It is a meaningless shell of a record with few, if any, redeeming features No Ripcord
Ora Cogan Hard Hearted Woman
In a time that can appear bent on applauding cynicism Cogan chooses curiosity. Her songs look straight into the abyss and still reach out for colour The Line Of Best Fit
Shabaka Of The Earth
On his first true solo album, Shabaka unites beats, flutes and saxophone (and some rap) Spectrum Culture
The Orielles Only You Left
As with the rest of their discography, The Orielles once again prove that you don’t always have to follow along with the masses to make good music Beats Per Minute
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
Rosalía Lux
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Spiritbox Tsunami Sea
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Hayley Williams Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways