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The albums we can’t stop talking about this month
A column where NMM ranks each new album we listened to in the previous month. Whether we wrote a review or not, we aim to sum up our monthly listens so you know how to get the good stuff.
So, it turns out music – much like Hollywood films – is seasonal. And late summer? That’s prime album drop territory. August made this clear, with an absolutely stacked release schedule. Things were so busy that some of my usual favourites (Wolf Alice, Sabrina Carpenter) ended up getting lost in the flood of incredible new music. Here’s how it all landed for me.
1. Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
This one really surprised me. From the first track Ice in my OJ, everything felt original, fresh, and somehow familiar at the same time. Freed from her 20-year artist deal, Paramore singer Hayley Williams’ third solo record brims with energy and experimentation. She embraces her independence fully, weaving together a wide range of genres into one crafted alternative album that feels both daring and effortless.
The highlights are as bold as the album title suggests like ‘Mirtazapine,’ a cheerful love song dedicated to an antidepressant or ‘Love Me Different,’ a cathartic reflection on heartbreak and recovery. The whole record feels like a reinvention – not in the sense of abandoning her past, but finally sounding like she’s steering every choice herself.
2. The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie
New Zealand’s indie favourites once again prove they can make melancholy sound comforting. Check out our full review written earlier this month.
3. Deftones – Private Music
This one took me a few listens, but once it clicked, it really stuck. Deftones have been on a hot streak, and Private Music continues that consistency while also pulling some bold moves. Their trademark progressive wall of sound is still there (heavy, lush, and immersive), but what stands out this time is their willingness to revisit some of their rap-rock and nu-metal roots.
Tracks like Cut Hands and ~metal dream show just how versatile the band can be, blending nostalgia with their modern edge. It’s a reminder of why Deftones sit at the top of the rock and metal world right now: few bands this deep into their career can keep pushing forward while still nodding to their past.
Further down the list, The Beaches finally dropped No Hard Feelings after what felt like a drip-feed of singles – but the wait was worth it. Nearly every track stands strong on its own, and as a full collection it lands as one of their most triumphant, polished rock albums yet.
On the other hand, albums from Wolf Alice, Royel Otis, and Sabrina Carpenter didn’t hit quite as hard as I’d hoped. Wolf Alice remain reliably solid, but this is probably my least favourite of their releases – it feels harder to define, almost like it’s missing a spark. Royel Otis’ Hickey has been in heavier rotation for me thanks to its gloomy but catchy singles, though it doesn’t quite rise above familiar territory. Sabrina’s Manchild was a great lead single, but the rest of the record never captured that same drama.
Nostalgia was in full swing with Good Charlotte, who returned after seven years with a classic pop-punk album. Sure, there’s something a bit odd about forty-somethings belting out teenage angst, but the songs are strong enough that, if you squint, it feels like 2002 all over again.
And then there’s Machine Gun Kelly, who continues to feel like the Nickelback of our generation. He seems to copy trends a few years late and execute them worse: country detours, a Third Eye Blind cover/remix, and a batch of uninspired pop-punk tracks. It’s messy and mostly forgettable, leaving me wondering who exactly it’s for.
Check back next month for our September picks – if August has taught us anything, it’s that late summer is a competitive season for albums, and the bar is set high.