‘Vol. II’ by Angine de Poitrine
★★★
“The Canadian rock duo Angine de Poitrine conquered the internet this year with long-nosed, polka-dotted masks and music that’s intricate, microtonal, mostly instrumental, and unquestionably fun,” said Jon Pareles in The New York Times. Hailing from Quebec and named after pre-heart-attack chest pain, the two musicians, a guitarist and a drummer who go by Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine, seem to have mind-melded over two decades of collaboration. To build each song, Khn uses a looping pedal to stack guitar and bass riffs while Klek’s drumming “underlines every essential syncopation.” Despite the costumes that have helped attract millions of YouTube views, “Angine de Poitrine’s music is no gimmick,” requiring great feats of dexterity.
So here we are, in 2026, and “the world’s hottest rock band looks like they snuck a double-necked guitar onto the set of Beetlejuice,” said Christopher R. Weingarten in Pitchfork. It’s unexpected, because the act’s first album went unheard yet the duo’s sudden success is well-earned. “They have the muscle, the melody, and the magic to be the world’s weirdest party band.”
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‘Distracted’ by Thundercat
★★★
On his first album in six years, Thundercat is “staring down loss while
making the struggle as beautiful, funny, spacey, and vibe-y as he can,” said Will Hermes in Rolling Stone. The 41-year-old bass virtuoso and R&B visionary has done the same before, dedicating his Grammy-winning previous album to rapper Mac Miller, a longtime friend. This time he’s also mourning another creative partner, jazz producer-promoter Meghan Stabile, and paying tribute with a sound that’s “’70s jazz fusion meets ’80s quiet storm,” supported by guests who include A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Willow Smith. Meanwhile, the newly sober headliner brought in hitmaker Greg Kurstin to replace Flying Lotus as his primary producer, and he “makes things smoother, shinier, and less weird.”
Kurstin’s approach “gives these tracks more oxygen than FlyLo’s arrangements ever would,” said Philemon Hayes in his Substack newsletter. That allows us to better hear Thundercat describe his ADD impulsivity and the wasted days it can cause. While “the jokes are still constant,” Thundercat’s old stoned persona “has been swapped out for something plainer and harder to dismiss.”
‘Creature of Habit’ by Courtney Barnett
★★★
“Creature of Habit makes it plain: Courtney Barnett is here to rock,” said Eoghan Lyng in PopMatters. The fourth album from the Australian-born singer is “a no-nonsense, heartfelt barrel of songs” that in spots hearken back to icons such as Lou Reed and Kurt Cobain. But while the grunge and indie-rock influences are obvious and expected, Barnett has also rarely sounded as confident as a vocalist, delivering her simple, artful lyrics “with rapier-sharp wit and total commitment.” There’s “yearning poetry” in the spare ballad “Mostly Patient,” while “Great Advice” features Barnett cackling as she tells critics she needs their opinions like a needle in the eye. Judging by the album’s plethora of zingers, Barnett could have been a stand-up comedian.
“Musically and lyrically, Barnett’s latest is a treatise on why humans are such habitual creatures,” said Grant Sharples in Paste. “Ironically, Barnett treads well-worn ground in her exploration of these ideas. Nothing here feels unfamiliar.” Still, there are worse things than playing to one’s strengths. “When you’re this good at what you do, there’s nothing wrong with continuing in that vein.”
