THE WORLD'S BEST NEW MUSIC
ALBUM OF THE DAY
21 FEBRUARY 2026
Garip
ALTIN GÜN
Released 20 February 2026
Glitternacht / Independent
****-
A lush, cinematic tribute to folk legend Neşet Ertaş that masterfully weaves Anatolian tradition into a tapestry of global psych-groove.
Amsterdam-based Altın Gün are the preeminent exponents of the 21st-century Anatolian rock revival. Since their 2018 debut, On, the Grammy-nominated quintet has evolved from capturing the fuzzy 1970s psych-funk of Barış Manço to exploring 80s synth-pop textures. Led by bassist Jasper Verhulst and featuring the authentic vocal and bağlama work of Erdinç Eçevit, the band serves as a bridge between the Turkish diaspora and the global underground. By reimagining traditional folk standards with modern sensibilities, they have moved beyond retro-chic to become a vital, evolving force in contemporary world music, consistently prioritizing groove and cultural sincerity.
On their sixth album, Garip ("Strange"), Altın Gün delivers their most ambitious and "unboundable" work to date. Moving away from "in-your-face" psych-rock, the band offers a deeply personal tribute to the legendary folk bard Neşet Ertaş. The record succeeds through its compositional excellence, specifically the integration of the Stockholm Studio Orchestra.
These "luxuriant" string arrangements evoke the golden era of Egyptian pop and Italian film scores, particularly on the standout "Gönül Dağı," where Eçevit’s yearning vocals explore the "sacred and sorrowful" nature of love.
The musicianship is remarkably fluid, ranging from the throbbing, early-80s indie-bass of "Neredesin Sen" to the smoldering slide guitar work of Thijs Elzinga on "Gel Kaçma Gel." The innovation lies in the restraint; the band favors "just vibing" over technical showmanship. By treating Ertaş's "Turkish blues" with such sophisticated arrangement and production, Altın Gün confirms their status as a mature unit with nothing left to prove, just a profound, heartfelt story to tell.
THE BLOG
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH
JANUARY 2026
2026 January Best New Albums
Julian Lage - Something More ft. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder, Kenny Wollesen
Velvet Trip - Tell Me Why (Official Video)
DAT Call
Kidney Stew Blues
Album titles link back to Sun Never Sets On Music's review page for all albums.
Five Star Albums
JULIAN LAGE
FEAT. JOHN MEDESKI, JORGE ROEDER, KENNY WOLLESEN, PATRICK WARREN
Released 23 January 2026
Blue Note Records
*****
SAULT
Released 9 January 2026
Ever Living Originals
*****
RAHEL TALTS, ROB LUFT
DONATAS PETREIKIS, MARIUSZ PRAŚNIEWSKI, JESPER LØRUP
Released 28 November 2025
Rainbow Records
*****
Featured Albums (release order)
VELVET TRIP
Released 30 January 2026
Zeppelin Hamilton
****-
XPRESS POINT
Released 23 January 2026
Vienetta Records
****-
Somebody Tried To Sell Me A Bridge
VAN MORRISON
Released 23 January 2026
Exile Productions
****-
YĪN YĪN
Released 23 January 2026
Glitterbeat Records
****-
DAMES BROWN
Released 21 January 2026
Defected Records
****-
In the name of the father, the Imam & John Lennon
TAMER NAFAR
Released 20 January 2025
Levantine Music / Tamer Nafar
****-
YOSEF GUTMAN
Released 16 January 2025
Soul Song Records
****-
THE ROOKIES
Released 16 January 2026
The Rookies
****-
JULIANNA BARWICK, MARY LATTIMORE
Released 16 January 2026
InFine
****-
IMARHAN
Released 16 January 2025
Wedge / City Slang
****-
THE JAMES HUNTER SIX
Released 16 January 2025
Easy Eye Sound / Concord
****-
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO, E RUSCHE V
Released 16 January 2026
Easy Eye Sound / Concord
****-
DWIKI DHARMAWAN, GILAD ATZMON
Released 16 January 2026
Moonjune Music
****-
CRIOLO, AMARO FREITAS, DINO D'SANTIAGO
Released 15 January 2026
Criolo Producoes
****-
KRIS DAVIS AND THE LUTOSLAWSKI QUARTET
Released 9 January 2026
Pyroclastic Records
****-
LOPHAE
Released 9 January 2026
Gregory J E Sanders
****-
LOUIS MATUTE
Released 9 January 2026
naive / Association Encontro
****-
ANDRIS MATTSON
Released 2 January 2026
Sonar Music
****-
Higher Together (EP) (Sydney NYE Fireworks 2025/6)
JONO MA
Released 19 December 2025
Sonar Music
****-
TEMPORARY BLESSINGS
Released 5 December 2025
College Of Knowledge Records
****-
STEPHEN CUMMINGS
Released 21 November 2025
Cheersquad Records
****-
OMAR SOSA
Released 21 November 2025
Sosafunka Music
****-
Father Mother Sister Brother (Original Music From The Film)
JIM JARMUSCH & ANIKA
Released 14 November 2025
Sacred Bones Records
****-
LAUREN TSAMOURAS, TOM AVGENICOS
Released 7 November 2025
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
****-
IAIN BELLAMY
Released 2 November 2025
Babel Label
****-
HOME ON STILTS
Released 25 October 2025
Harrison Wyville
****-
BABO MORENO
Released 26 September 2025
Matsuka Records
****-
NEKO CASE
Released 26 September 2025
Neko Case / Anti
****-
SANDRAYATI
Released 5 September 2025
Decca Records
****-
Oppression Is Nine Tenths Of The Law
ORGANIC PULSE ENSEMBLE
Released 3 August 2025
RR Gems Records
****-
WINK WINKELMANN
Released 28 June 2025
Wink Winkelmann
****-
MATT OWENS
Released 22 May 2025
All Made Up Records
****-
RUBY GILL
Released 28 March 2025
Ruby Gill / Timothy Harvey
****-
REB FOUNTAIN
Released 7 March 2025
Fountain Records
****-
 Best Albums2025 Year's Best New Albums |  Movie Soundtracks2025 Year's Best New Movie Soundtracks |  Games Soundtracks2025 Year's Best New Games Soundtracks |
|---|---|---|
 December2025 December's Best New Albums |  November2025 November's Best New Albums |  October2025 October's Best New Albums |
 SeptemberBest Albums September 2025 |  AugustBest Albums August 2025 |  JulyBest Albums July 2025 |
 JuneBest Albums June 2025 |  MayBest Albums May 2025 |  AprilBest Albums April 2025 |
 MarchBest Albums March 2025 |  FebruaryBest Albums February 2025 |  JanuaryBest Albums January 2025 |
