Staff Picks: Best Albums of January 2026

Every month, our writers and editors highlight the best new music from the past four weeks for Consequence’s Staff Picks column. Check out our first selections of the year, AKA the best albums of January 2026, below.

And just like that, we’re already a month into 2026. That means the time for 2025 recaps and our extensive Annual Report is long gone, as is the time to excitedly pull together lists of anticipated tours, coming albums, and artists set for a big year. It’s back to work, people, and artists like Zach Bryan, By Storm, Dry Cleaning, Mon Rovîa, Peaer, and our recent CoSign Softcult have proven as much, kicking 2026 off right by releasing the year’s first batch of great albums. You know what we’re doing here — it’s Consequence’s favorite albums of the last month!

Check out our list of the best albums of January 2026 below, listed in alphabetical order.

By Storm — My Ghosts Go Ghost

tragic ending of Injury Reserve. My Ghosts Go Ghost, the debut of the pair’s new band and next artistic journey, carries the paradoxical weight of continuing the legacy of the former underground trio and introducing its own identity; a clean break and marching on as if nothing has changed would feel equally as strange. Luckily, My Ghosts Go Ghost manages to do just that, showcasing the artistic and personal growth of RiTchie and Corey while expanding on the emotive experimentalism that was on display on the excellent By the Time I Get to Phoenix. The performances are abstractly raw, and the production leans into spontaneity and freedom, pushing the group even further away from traditional structures. Take the hypnotic “And I Dance,” a crackling, pure expression of emotion that’s so effective it seemingly breaks the track itself, as the tune clips itself into oblivion. As both a goodbye and a hello, My Ghosts Go Ghost is as effective as it is creative. — Jonah Krueger

Stream My Ghosts Go Ghost on Apple Music or Amazon Music

Courtney Marie Andrews — Valentine

Apple Music or Amazon Music | Buy on Vinyl/CD

Draag — Miracle Drug EP

Apple Music or Amazon Music

Consequence of Sound