“What is so rare as a day in June?” Certainly not good music! There’s much fine listening on many fronts this month – hence, the elongated article. Listening links are embedded in album titles; where necessary, purchase links are included (in parentheses) at the end of reviews.

The buzz of 2026’s experimental scene has unmistakably been Angine de Poitrine. After all, when was the last time you saw and heard a duo of self-proclaimed alien beings (hailing from Quebec) burning up social media with microtonal minimalist surf prog? Kudos to AdP for packaging challenging if familiar ideas with striking if freaky visuals (papier-mache heads? Pyramids and suspicious dice? Pickled herrings and a hot dog?). The proof’s in the tuneage, though: on 2024’s Vol. I and the new Vol. II guitarist Khn and drummer Klek generate one tightly controlled, surprisingly addictive perpetual motion frenzy after another. Fans of Steve Reich, 1980s King Crimson and math-rock in general will resonate with it all. Whether AdP have staying power beyond this initial splash remains to be seen, but they’ve made a good fist of a start.

Also on the out-there end: two of my favorite avant-jazzers, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusere and guitarist Mary Halvorson took advantage of a common record label to stage a welcome summit meeting. Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings is a pretty solid description of what the result sounds like; from the conventional beauty of Akinmusere’s “Prelude in the Ash” through the loop-based drone dialogue of the joint “Soundcheck” to Halvorson’s polytonality-meets-power-chords “Blood & Sand”, you rarely know what’s coming next, but there’s plenty of sonic space to navigate without a map. Akinmusere shouts, twists, flurries and floats, singing as much as playing through his instrument; Halvorson brings her pointed tone, scribbly runs, wiry chords, and mastery of effects to bear; their ongoing dialogue is sombre, witty, affecting, completely simpatico. An attentive collaboration that leaves the listener engrossed, hanging on every cryptic gesture.

Opera/art song diva Renee Fleming has occasionally detoured into crossover territory, with mixed results. (Excursions into jazz: usually solid. An album of indie rock tunes from Muse, Arcade Fire, The Mars Volta, etc: not great.) Her latest, co-billed with progressive bluegrass heavyweight Bela Fleck, is a self-released passion project — and it’s quite good! The Fiddle and the Drum focuses on songs of love and war, ranging from Carter Family classics through Joni Mitchell’s Vietnam-era title track to Elvis Costello’s cinematic period piece “The Scarlet Tide”. If Fleming is sometimes overly reverent toward the material, she’s also thoroughly committed; her duets with dobro master Jerry Douglas are the most intense moments here, though the closing a cappella trio “Pretty Bird” (with Americana sirens Sierra Hull & Sarah Jarosz) comes close. Add guest vocals by country titans Dolly Parton and Vince Gill, Fleck’s steady hand in the studio and a tasty backing band, and you have a luxuriously upholstered yet idiomatic homage to the Appalachian folk tradition. (Buy from Bela Fleck’s webstore.)

Suddenly everything old in rock and roll seems new yet again: witness The Lemon Twigs, brothers from New York City who write, sing and play multiple instruments like angels heralding the resurgence of power pop. Their sixth album Look For Your Mind! is much more than an exercise in retro pastiche, even though the guitars jangle and ring, the vocal harmonies swoon and swoop, and a wall of orchestral sound ebbs and flows. Brian D’Addario’s soaring, melodic balladry and brother Michael’s chunky, adenoidal rock chops meld into one overarching style like never before, with the Twigs’ road band and female fellow-travelers Tchotchke contributing to a warm new “live in the studio” feel. And the songs! Sweet odd-couple romance “2 Or 3”, stomping protest rocker “Bring You Down”, break-up chamber-pop “Joy” (with the solo taken by a French horn section!) are just the tip of the iceberg; every single tune is a near-perfect blend of craft and sincere sentiment, bursting with riffs and melodies that stick like chewing gum through every surprise bridge and delightfully inevitable key change. This is the album where the Twigs have made their influences (Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys, Big Star – and that’s just the Bs) their own, and a record that stands up marvelously in such august company. Already a hands-down 2026 Favorite, and the album I recommend most highly from this batch.

Of course, it’s not like all the grizzled veterans are sitting home, twiddling their thumbs. Paul McCartney has been striking nostalgic chords by summoning up his past for at least thirty years, and his new The Boys of Dungeon Lane delves further into lyrical and musical reminiscence. “Days We Left Behind” meditates on history and change, spotlightling a newly fragile cragginess in Macca’s voice; “Down South” mates a memory of hitchiking with George Harrison to gentle acoustic busking. Plus, there’s “Home to Us” – a duet with Ringo! (On vocals and drums!) Not to mention the “When I’m 64” shuffle of “Life Can Be Hard”, a callback to “And I Love Her” on “First Star of the Night”, plenty of energetic rock guitar, fuzz bass, and even Paul playing trumpet (on “Salesman Saint”, a tribute to his parents that’s the album’s most moving love song). McCartney’s melodic gift and textural instincts are at a peak, and Andrew Watt’s widescreen production cannily matches the enticing, confiding tone of his voice. Lovely overall, thoroughly charming and frequently stirring, slotting easily into the upper reaches of Macca’s more adventurous solo efforts. (Buy from his webstore.)

And then there’s Muse – as over the top and bonkers as ever for their latest return to action, The Wow! Signal. You know what you’re in for when opener “The Dark Forest” contains both a direct steal from the soundtrack to Lawrence of Arabia and quasi-liturgical Latin chanting; the willful genre-hopping never stops, both between songs (EDM/Taylor Swift-wannabe single “Night Shift Superstar”, synthprog/rifferama medley “Hexagons/The Sickness in You and I/Unraveling”) and within them (“Be With You” is a hymn! No, it’s dubstep! No, it’s metal! With a choir!) Credit to Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard for pulling together yet another smorgasboard of sensory overload into a surprisingly coherent concept album – and for injecting unexpected emotional depth, as melancholic coda “Space Debris” casts down-to-earth shadows over what had seemed just another grandiose conspiracy/UFO narrative. After a couple of enjoyable but not particularly memorable releases, this one feels like a real step forward. (Buy from their webstore.)

As does Yes‘ latest, Aurora – though the Steve Howe-led version of this band has been gaining momentum for a couple of albums now. There’s plenty of newfound ambition in the tunesmithing, and the band plays with commitment and animation. Howe’s style and sound on electric, acoustic and steel guitars is unmistakable, while Geoff Downes’ synth and organ work is straightforward and appropriate; Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen lay down nicely propulsive grooves; and orchestral flourishes on the title track and “Ariadne” complement the group sound instead of distracting from it. Jon Davison’s found his way forward as well; whether on the harmonious “Turnaround Situtation”, the four-part suite “Countermovement”, or the anthemic closer “Emotional Intelligence” his singing slots in confidently, with a pleasant amount of grit seasoning his usual sunny vibe. Don’t expect the adrenaline rush or angularity of Yes’ most innovative era; these are mostly distance runs instead of sprints or marathons, paced as such, but the restraint works, even on riff-rocker “All Hands On Deck”. Take Aurora on its own terms, and there’s genuine satisfaction to be found. (Buy from Inside Out.)

Reissues and live releases follow the jump . . .

Along with new releases, reissues have come thick and fast as well:

• The Beach Boys’ The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights breaks down the single greatest pop album achievement of my lifetime on 2 easily digestible discs. There are vocals-only mixes, alternate lead singers and versions, backing tracks, demos, and tracking sessions – all essential woodchips from the workbench of the late Brian Wilson’s genius. Never mind that I have multiple versions of the album and the box set of the complete sessions; this re-compilation’s still an automatic, stone cold Favorite. (Order from the Boys’ webstore.)
• Queen II, on the other hand, was a complete surprise to me. Not just because of the fine remix; this is a classic album that I completely missed back in the day! It’s the sound of a band conquering their home audience with a set of flamboyant hard rock: Brian May’s unique guitar sound and instinct for the killer riff is already in place, Freddie Mercury plays mean rock piano and sings for his life while keeping the light-classical flourishes under control, John Deacon and Roger Taylor drive the band forward like maniacs. “Seven Seas of Rhye” was the breakthrough song, but every track is focused, stylish, potent and utterly unique. If you don’t know Queen before “Killer Queen” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” took them worldwide, this is the place to start. (Available in single, double and collectors’ box versions from the Queen webstore.)
• Lifesigns has released a single-CD Anthology with a lavish retrospective booklet. A fine selection of mellow yet exploratory tunes from the reigning kings of DIY Britprog; no one’s better than keyboardist/composer/lead singer John Young at power ballads that take you on a journey, and the band’s revolving roster of guitarists, including the estimable Dave Bainbridge, consistently soar. Includes a previously unreleased track, too! (Order from The Band Wagon USA – and stock up on the original albums while you’re at it.)
• Has there ever been a great single-disc Pink Floyd compilation? Even with Steven Wilson providing inter-track crossfades, the new 8-Tracks set isn’t it. Solid but not terribly imaginative, it’s got the American hits, a couple of deep tracks and a genuine rarity from the Animals era; still, it’s more a soulless product of Sony’s recent purchase of the Floyd catalog than anything else. You could do worse, but the double-disc Echoes from 2001 remains your best option. (The CD and colored vinyl versions of 8-Tracks are exclusive to Target in the US.)

And to top it all off, three live albums released in connection with this year’s Record Store Day:

• King Crimson, 1974 Penn State University: The “flying brick wall” rhythm section of John Wetton and Bill Bruford. The dissonant grace of Robert Fripp’s guitar as he scrambles to stay ahead of said wall. Violinist David Cross’ still small voice in the maelstrom (when he’s not the howling embodiment of it). This is Fripp’s Bartok-meets-Hendrix vision of Crimson incarnate, recorded weeks before the band’s mid-70s break-up. Intense hard prog offset by high-wire improvisation whipped up from scratch. Essential for fans, a great starting place for neophytes. (Order from Burning Shed.)
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Live from Asbury Park 2024: This one’s a monster 5-LP/3-CD set, recorded in front of a massive hometown crowd. Along with their usual march through multiple hits across the decades, Bruce and the E Streeters focus on highlights from Springsteen’s early, Jersey-based albums; looser music, wordier lyrics, funnier characters, a faux-street vibe that swings as much as it rocks. As Springsteen sings in the proto-Sopranos panorama “Jungleland,” “There’s an opera out on the turnpike/There’s a ballet being fought out in the alley”, and the heightened melodrama matches the sense of occasion, making this set very special. Sound and performances are full and stately without being stiff. This is the Springsteen that that grabbed me at a tender age with Born to Run; if you’re used to the musclebound headband guy of the 1980s or the dead-serious working-class hero of the 2000s, you should check out Bruce’s latest take on version 1.0. (Order from the Springsteen webstore.)
• The Who Live, Eden Project 25/07/2023: Recorded in Cornwall with The Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra, this feels like what Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were aiming for with their brave and crazy 2019 US tour. There’s an epic sweep to the orchestra-plus-band suites from Tommy and Quadrophenia that bookend the show, contrasted with a welcome down-and-dirty feel to the midsection run of classics from “I Can’t Explain” to “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. With the Who saying farewell to the US last year and Daltrey following suit in this fall, this as good a swan song as you could hope for from one of the 1960s greatest bands. (Order from Amazon.)

— Rick Krueger