Hope, Dopamine and whatever 'Perfecth' means: Euronews Culture’s Fall music preview

It’s been a very solid year so far in terms of new album releases, with neo-soul goodnessfrom Jill Scott, intoxicating hip-hopfrom Irish trio Kneecap, Olivia Rodrigo’sbed-bouncing pop, and Phoebe Bridgers delivering the best album of her career so far – to name but a few.

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And 2026 isn't over yet...

Now that we’ve given you our massive Fall movie preview, highlighting the films that should get you rushing to the cinema, it’s time to look ahead to the crowded release schedule when it comes to music.

We've handpicked 15 hotly anticipated records you won’t want to miss before the year ends.

Ezra Collective – Here Because Of Hope

Release date: 18 September

The MOBO and Mercury Prize-winning British jazz-afrobeat-soul quintet follow up their excellent 2024 album 'Dance, No One’s Watching' with their much anticipated fourth LP. Having become the first jazz band to win Group of the Year at the Brit Awards last year, Ezra Collective are hoping to impress their fans once again with their “most ambitious and personal record of their career”. According to a press statement, 'Here Because Of Hope' is split into “three spiritual and geographical movements” as the album aims to trace the movement of Black people across continents and decades - “from the music of Africa to the rhythms of the Caribbean, and home to the streets of London”. We can’t wait.

Beck – Ride Lonesome

Release date: 18 September

Following his 2015 Grammy Album of the Year ‘Morning Phase’, Beck’s output has been a smidge disappointing. 2017’s 'Colors' was an underwhelming 80s-indebted effort, while 2019’s 'Hyperspace' worked as a synth-pop collaboration experiment but lacked the complexity of his past efforts. Here’s hoping this year fares better... We’ve already had his Valentine’s Day-themed compilation album ‘Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime’ - which was delightful – and his 15th studio album ‘Ride Lonesome’ is about to drop. Already released singles – the country-coded ‘Ride Lonesome’ and the gentle ‘Disappearing Act’ - have a ‘Sea Change’ / ‘Morning Phase’ melancholia to them. Add the fact that Nigel Godrich is back on mixing duties, and this could be a return to form.

Tove Lo – Estrus

Release date: 18 September

Swedish pop star Tove Lo has explained that the title of her sixth album refers to an animal in heat. “It’s primal, contradicting emotional chaos. It’s my mind and my body wanting different things, wanting everything,” the ‘Talking Body’ singer said, adding: “There’s no good advice on this album... just a lot of feelings, no solutions.” That last part happens to be the title of the opening track of ‘Estrus’, which is followed by lead single ‘I’m Your Girl Right?’ - a propulsive dance track that will hopefully be playing on heavy rotation in clubs around the world. We’re looking forward to the rest, as Tove Lo’s capacity to deliver euphoric sultry banger after euphoric sultry banger continues to impress. And be bafflingly underrated.

Agnes Obel - The Meaning Of Flowers

Release date: 18 September

A lot of albums coming out on the 18th... But one that has us giddy with excitement is Agnes Obel’s fifth album ‘The Meaning Of Flowers’ - her first since 2020. We’ve been fans of the Danish singer-songwriter here at Euronews Culture for a while now - even including her 2016 album ‘Citizen Of Glass’ in our list of the Best European Albums of the 21st Century. Her immersive chamber-pop never fails to captivate, and judging by her textured new single ‘Laymelli’, we’re in for an atmospheric treat with her latest – one reportedly inspired by themes of maternity and metamorphosis, as well as the ideas of philosophers Hannah Arendt and Emanuele Coccia. Listen to ‘Laymelli’ and try telling us you’re not already entranced.

M83 – I Wrote You A Letter

Release date: 25 September

Is this the year French outfit M83 remind the electro scene they’ve still got it? Here’s hoping... Anthony Gonzalez’s 10th studio album follows a string of disappointing releases, including the aptly named 'Junk' (2016), the very average 'DSVII' (2019), and slightly course-correcting but hardly exhilarating ‘Fantasy’ (2023). In fact, it’s no stretch to say that M83 haven’t had a fully energising release since 2011’s ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’, and many fans still miss the glory days of the early 2000s with the back-to-back triumphs of ‘Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts’ and ‘Before The Dawn Heals Us’. Fingers crossed that the titular letter brings good news.

Soft Cell – Danceteria

Release date: 25 September

Legendary British synth-pop duo Soft Cell are about to release their swansong, following the death of co-founder Dave Ball last year. The band’s sixth and final studio album, ‘Danceteria’, was completed before Ball’s death and will hopefully serve as a fitting tribute. “There can be no more recordings of Soft Cell without Dave, it would not be possible,” said singer Marc Almond. “The sad reality is that Dave Ball was half of Soft Cell, and live work aside, I can't write Soft Cell songs without him." Considering the title and the already released singles, it’s fair to say that this album will channel the spirit of the 80s New York club scene – much like Madonna’s latest record.

The Avalanches – No Bad Memories

Release date: 16 October

Fans of plunderphonic geniuses The Avalanches had to wait 16 long years after the seminal ‘Since I Left You’ for a decent follow-up album. 'Wildflower' (2016) was a playful and welcome return, but didn’t strike the same winning chord; and you’d be forgiven for not knowing a third album followed, as 2020’s slightly underrated ‘We Will Always Love You’ didn’t make too much of a splash. Billed as “an ambivalent ode to the nostalgic pull of commercial jingles, proprietary start-up sounds, and long-forgotten audio logos,” the Australian band’s fourth album will hopefully right that wrong. It features the likes of Karen O, Jamie xx, Jessy Lanza and Nikki Nair, and spans a whopping 31 tracks. So they’re not messing about.

Eels – Cookie Happened

Release date: 16 October

For more than a decade, like clockwork, we get a new Eels album every two years. And like some of previously mentioned artists on this list, Mark Oliver “E” Everett needs a proper comeback this year, as he hasn’t had the greatest of runs of late. ‘The Deconstruction’ (2018) fell short compared to previous discography standouts; ‘Earth To Dora’ (2020) was too far familiar for comfort; ‘Extreme Witchcraft’ (2022) was a dreary affair; and ‘Eels Time!’ (2024) barely registered. We’re rooting for E, as he’s given us some of the greatest storytelling gems over the years, and ‘Cookie Happened’ could very well be a return to past form. Already on the plus side: the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster is an influence on the album. That, and the cover’s all kinds of fun.

Rachel Chinouriri – I Think I Spoke Too Soon

Release date: 16 October

English singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri follows her critically acclaimed alt-indie pop debut album ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ (2024) with ‘I Think I Spoke Too Soon’. Her sophomore effort features collaborators like Mary Weitz and Lucy Dacus, and the first cut ‘One Song Away From Crying’ suggests she’s moving away from the guitars and embracing synths a bit more. The song explores that all-too-familiar moment on the dancefloor when you’ve “never looked better” but “never felt worse”. It sounds fantastic so far, and it’s worth noting that Chinouriri is currently touring Europe, with September dates in Dublin, London, Brussels, Paris and Berlin. If you can get your hands on a ticket, consider yourself very lucky indeed.

Fontaines D.C. – Dopamine Chamber

Release date: 16 October

Talk about a busy day in October for new releases... and this one is hands down our most anticipated of the lot. Every single Fontaines D.C. album release has marked leaps and bounds in terms of songwriting and sound evolution. They’ve been going from strength to strength ever since their 2019 debut ‘Dogrel’ and 2024’s ‘Romance’ felt like a consecration. There’s no suggestion that the Irish indie heroes won’t continue their winning streak with fifth LP, ‘Dopamine Chamber’, which should once again cement their status as the most consistently exciting band around. They’ve already premiered new tracks ‘Marianne’ and ‘Six Shot Morning’ live. Spoiler: they’re both brilliant, sounding Depeche Mode-ish and very synth noir. Let’s hope the rest of the album tracklist will stimulate the reward system in the same way.

Editors – Surface, Echo & Sound

Release date: 30 October

Sounding similar to Foo Fighters’ ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace’, the title of Editors’ eighth studio album could signal a return to a rawer and rockier sound. Following the disappointing new wave / indietronica ‘EBM’ in 2022, the band apparently wanted to come back to a more natural approach with regards to songwriting and recording, harking back to their early days. Music to our ears, and fans will doubtlessly be delighted if ‘Surface, Echo & Sound’ recalls the sound of their pretty much flawless original album run, with ‘The Back Room’, ‘An End Has A Start’ and ‘In This Light And On This Evening’ having made them one of the rare British bands to escape the dreaded Indie Landfill era of the 2000s.

Queens of the Stone Age – Perfecth

Release date: 30 October

"Nothing in this world is perfect, but everything seems to be 'perfecth'," according to Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. "And that title is funny when you're in a group, but it ain't so funny when you're alone." Prefaced by the songs ‘Easy Street’ and ‘Insignificant Other’, QOTSA’s ninth studio album promises to be a nine-track rock opus dealing with “family, friends, and others both significant and insignificant”. So far, it sounds like a departure from the band’s heavier sound, with the acoustic ballad ‘Easy Street’ still maintaining some of their trademark humour but showcasing a much gentler side, while ‘Insignificant Other’ features a sleazy groove but couldn’t be more different from the sledgehammer blows of past glories found on ‘Songs For The Deaf’ and ‘...Like Clockwork’.

La Roux - Old Flames

Release date: 6 November

We haven’t had a new release from the British synth-pop act formed by singer Elly Jackson since 2020. That third album, ‘Supervision’, was a frustrating follow-up to her charting debut ‘La Roux’ (2009) and ‘Trouble In Paradise’ (2014). The ‘In For The Kill’ and ‘Bulletproof’ singer will hopefully wow fans once again, with a new album in which she addresses the collapse of a relationship and tackles themes of forbidden love and the loneliness that comes from addiction. The first album teaser, the R&B-tinged earworm ‘Cabin Fever’, is excellent and there’s every chance La Roux’s upcoming LP will be the late-year pop surprise we’ve been waiting for.

Los Bitchos – Los Bitchos & Friends Vol. 1

Release date: 13 November

Pan-continental instrumental group Los Bitchos have already given us two stellar albums (‘Let The Festivities Begin’ and ‘Talkie Talkie’), which have led them to open for various acts like Belle & Sebastian, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Parquet Courts and Wet Leg. Now, the trio consisting of guitarist Serra Petale, bassist Josefine Jonsson, and drummer Nic Crawshaw, will continue their rave-reviewed blend of Cumbia, rock-pop and Latin American rhythms in their third long-form project. But there's news: they're welcoming vocal collaborators. Gasp! (Although the title was a bit of a giveaway.) For a band who’ve never seen vocals as a necessity, this new direction could add a new dimension to their work, with King Gizzard’s Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada and Kit Sebastian all lending their voices. November seems like a long way away considering how promising this sounds...

Labi Siffre – Unfinished Business

Release date: TBD

As we noted in our selection of the Most Underrated Albums, there’s been renewed interest in Labi Siffre’s music, chiefly due to some of his songs appearing in films like The Holdovers and Sentimental Value. With the British poet and folk musician’s 1972 album ‘Crying Laughing Loving Lying’ gradually becoming recognised as the masterpiece it is, 2026 brought some surprising news: the 80-year-old artist is returning with a new album appropriately titled ‘Unfinished Business’. It will be his first LP in 28 years and we’ve already had a taster with the gorgeous piano ballad ‘Far Away’. This is one comeback you won’t want to miss, and we’re waiting (somewhat impatiently) for a release date. In the meantime, we’ll be listening to ‘Crying Laughing Loving Lying’ all over again, as well as his last record to date, the 1998 spoken-word poetry collection ‘Monument’, which is also well worth your time.

There we have it. Which albums are you most looking forward to? For up-to-date music news and reviews, head to Euronews Culture's Music section, and be sure to check out our picks for the Best Albums of 2026... So Far.