As the aggressively cold weather continues to sink its unforgiving claws deeper into 2026, it’s important to keep a healthy mindset as we face these malicious temperatures. Music is a beautifully powerful thing, able to grab our hands and pull us into something otherworldly, and you can never tell which song will take you there. That is why a New Music Friday like the one we have today is essential, as you may discover something transformative. This week’s Caustic is brimming with exhilarating releases from punk legends, contemporary indie rock darlings, and protest songs attempting to piece together any sense of what’s going on in the world around us.
Check out Glide’s picks for the week’s best new music, and be sure to follow our February Spotify playlist so you never miss a release.
Ratboys – “At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood”
Singin’ to an Empty Chair
Alt-country indie rockers Ratboys return with a fresh LP brimming with all the reasons this band has become so beloved over the last few years. Singin’ To an Empty Chair is a moving album that redefines the limits of this band’s prowess, as they traverse simplistic acoustics and soaring indie rock balladry with grace and ease. “At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood” is the blissful outro to this outing, featuring a subtle twang that dances slowly with heartfelt vocals.
Jay Buchanan – “Dance Me To The End of Love”
Weapons of Beauty
Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan takes the daring leap into the solo world with the release of Weapons of Beauty. A 10-song soulful solo debut from a voice we all recognize, Buchanan’s acrobatic vocals swing from passionate bellows to nimble emotional outpourings with poetic flair and a deep love for nostalgic soul. “Dance Me To The End of Love” is a moving, lively highlight, with soaring vocals atop Southern soul instrumentation.
Puscifer – “Normal Isn’t”
Normal Isn’t
The three-headed experimental rock monster Puscifer emerges with a protest album aimed directly at the struggles of modern times as they attempt to navigate a turbulent world. Normal Isn’t is eleven spellbinding tunes that explore exciting sonic territories without losing sight of the album’s overarching message, creating an exhilarating, urgent listen. The title track features psychedelic undertones that emphasize the vocal quiver as they attempt to find inner peace while navigating tumultuous times.
Cory Wong – “The Big Payoff” (Feat. ellis)
Lost In The Wonder
Guitarist Cory Wong’s highly collaborative new LP, Lost In The Wonder, arrives in a burst of danceable riffs and glimmering pop. These 12 songs recontextualize Wong as a producer, stringing fairy lights around his guitar-centered sound to create a funky listen, just waiting to be danced to. The ellis-assisted “The Big Payoff” is a disco-tinted highlight with a funky bounce that sticks to your brain, never letting go until the last strum of Wong’s ever-evolving sound.
Silversun Pickups – “Wakey Wakey”
Tenterhooks
One of the most enduring indie rock acts from Los Angeles’ early aughts scene is back, and Silversun Pickups are sounding rejuvenated. The band’s first album since 2022, Tenterhooks, is a punchy and beautifully haunting outing with complex tones that collide with the band’s signature sound in a welcoming cacophony of experimentation. “Wakey Wakey” is one of the more left-field examples of this tracklist, with tumbling drums that collide with blistering guitar riffs and eerie vocals.
Joji – “Sojourn”
Piss In The Wind
From internet sensation to contemporary R&B mainstay, Joji has had a roller coaster of a career leading up to Piss In The Wind, his most ambitious album to date. The off-kilter 21-song tracklist combines distorted experimentation with pulsating tempos and warm, familiar melodies, as Joji toes the line between lofty visions and a natural knack for making hits. “Sojourn” is a beautiful example of this marriage, with crawling textures that fail to subdue the club-ready percussion bubbling underneath, creating an immersive stand-out from a terrific LP.
John Craigie – “Claws”
I Swam Here
John Craigie has long proven that the troubadour spirit is well and alive, and his new album further proves this sentiment. I Swam Here is an intimate outing that finds solace in raw vulnerability and stripped-down acoustics, bringing the listener one step closer to understanding this beloved, mysterious songwriter. “Claws” is the type of love song that can be about drugs, a partner, or any idea that depletes you mentally, and the realization that it’s time to let it all go.
J. Cole – “WHO TF IZ U”
The Fall-Off
Over the past few years, J. Cole has proven that patience is a virtue, and the long wait finally reaches a boiling point on The Fall-Off. Cole’s long-awaited seventh LP is a confessional, sprawling double-disc spanning 24 songs of innate storytelling, brutal honesty, and warning shots to his peers. Throughout these two discs, we are reminded why Cole’s name is in the top three discussions, as he creates his most poignant and impressive album in years. “WHO TF IZ U” brings out Cole’s competitive side, as he weaves head-spinning rhyme schemes together with careful attention to every breath.
Buck Meek – “Ring Of Fire”
The Mirror
Big Thief’s Buck Meek is returning to the solo realm with The Mirror on February 27, and if that wasn’t exciting enough, the multi-hyphenate just released a terrific second single. “Ring of Fire” is a beautifully poetic ballad dedicated to Meek’s special person, an ode to always returning to his family. This heartwarming single follows the lead of “Gasoline,” a much livelier track, hinting at a diverse tracklist before the full album, The Mirror, is released.
Arlo Parks – “Heaven”
Ambiguous Desire
Arlo Parks, one of the more innovative additions to modern pop and R&B, is gearing up for the release of her third LP. Ambiguous Desire is set to arrive on April 3, and Parks has just unleashed a colorful second single from the anticipated release. “Heaven” features psychedelic textures that emphasize the ethereal imagery delivered by Parks’s breathy vocals.
Low Cut Connie – “Livin in the USA”
Livin in the USA
Last year, Philadelphia’s iconic rocker Low Cut Connie released a protest song titled “Livin in the USA,” and now that message is being reimagined and expanded. The artist’s new LP, titled after its lead single, is set to arrive in a blaze of glory on July 3. That title track, once acoustic, is now a full-band outing with bluesy swings that infect the soul with the spirit of rebellion.
Charles Joseph Smith – “My Days Are Not Over For Me (1993)”
Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts
Chicago’s best-kept secret, the DIY legend Charles Joseph Smith, has teamed up with Sooper Records for a career-spanning compilation. Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts is a three-disc set to be released on April 3, and we have some deep cuts from the prolific musician to get us excited. The hauntingly beautiful lo-fi warmth of “My Days Are Not Over,” recorded in 1993, brings Smith’s prowess to life through fuzzy vocals that gently lay upon slow-burning piano melodies.
Shabaka – “Eyes Lowered”
Of The Earth
Shabaka has cemented his place in contemporary jazz across three bands, with several acclaimed releases from each. Still, those monumental releases proved to be only the starting point for the virtuoso. The artist’s solo work continues to expand the listener’s mind and Shabaka’s range, and we are about to get the next chapter of this story. Of The Earth, the follow-up to Shabaka’s 2023 flute LP, is a self-produced effort set to arrive on March 6, and we just received the third single. “Eyes Lowered” features a rare vocal appearance from the multi-instrumentalist, as his deep vocals tie the spacious arrangement together with thought-provoking poetry.
Mclusky – “i know computer”
i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley
After making their triumphant return in 2025, U.K punk legends Mclusky don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. With a North American tour kicking off in March, the trio prepares for the trip by announcing a new EP and its lead single. The six-song i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley will arrive on March 20, and the glitchy “i know computer” is our first preview. The searing guitars chug underneath cartoonish vocals, proving that the band is maturing even after spending twenty years out of the spotlight.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – “Sunburned in London”
Single
For the first time in four years, the Australian quintet Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is here with new music. “Sunburned in London” is a bright, explosive single with sun-bleached tones that sway in the breeze stirred by the infectious guitar riffs. This song marks the band’s first piece of new music since their 2022 LP, Endless Rooms.
