The Best Australian Albums of 2026 So Far

Carla dal Forno is one of Australia’s most shapeshifting artists, and it’s more of the same on the sublime Confession.

“This wasn’t the album I intended to make,” the endlessly curious musician said. “I originally wanted something veiled and abstract, but I realised I couldn’t hide behind abstraction — the songs only worked when I leaned into emotional truth.”

Strong reviews from Pitchfork, The Guardian and more publications speak to her fourth album’s quality.

One of the most highly anticipated albums in Australian music was worth the wait.

Ecca Vandal dropped LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO UNFOLLOW after making her US late-night TV debut.

As the rising star explained, her record is one of subtraction, cutting ties with what drains your energy and distorts your vision: “The systems. The trends. The illusions of connection. I find empowerment in being loud and noisy especially as a woman in this global moment who grew up in a culture that told me I could not be those things.”

EXEK still feel underrated in Australia, despite being on their seventh album of incredible quality.

Vocalist Albert Wolski said the Melbourne post-punk band’s latest was “a bit more ‘epic'” than previous albums, which can be felt in the expansive and playful sound.

A band this country is lucky to have.

Courtney Barnett is incapable of releasing a bad album.

Creature of Habit marked a decisive new chapter in the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s musical evolution.

Written in the wake of a relocation from Australia to Los Angeles, as well as the closure of her long-running label Milk! Records, Barnett was grappling with changes that put the future of both her life and career in question. Rather than internalising those feelings, she decided to bring the confusion directly into the recording process.

Chet Faker’s excellent new album sees Nick Murphy, the ARIA-winning songwriter, musician, and producer behind the project, come full circle.

Love him or hate him, you just can’t escape him. Keli Holiday is a star that’s here to stay.

Read our interview with the breakout artist for our Future of Music series here.

Read all about Rachael Fahim’s album here.

Read all about Peach PRC’s album here.

A No. 1 album and their biggest Australian headline tour to date — what a year it’s been so far for Karnivool.

Read our review of The Kid LAROI’s album here.

Body Type somehow top Expired Candy, their AMP-nominated 2023 album, on Tally.

Find out more about trials’ debut solo album here.

Find out more about the up-and-coming NT band here.

An album only Bad//Dreems could have made.

A proper Australian album, Ultra Dundee doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of modern Australia.

If this is indeed to be Bad//Dreems’ final album, given their recent indefinite hiatus announcement, what a way to go out.

Find out more about Meg Mac’s latest album here.

Pop music of the highest order.

“At its core, ‘The Chronicles of a Serial Idealist’ is about understanding that life is too short to pour your energy into people who don’t give that same care back,” Charley said about her debut album. “Sometimes, you have to accept things for what they are. This album holds heartbreak, growth, healing, and the hope that carried me through it all, because without hope, life would be so bitter.”

Find out more about Telenova’s album here.

Read our interview with MAY-A about her latest album here.

Pond’s 11th studio album is the latest electrifying chapter in the Australian psych-rock band’s ever-evolving catalogue.

This time, they set themselves a challenge. No fuzz petal. No ballads. No “Pink Floyd shit.” Instead, Terrestrials draws on Australian pub rock and post-punk, trading sprawling psych jams for a tighter, more urgent sound.

Nat Pavlovic’s latest is an introspective exploration of love in all its forms: be it love for friends, for family, for partners, or simply for yourself.

Featuring guest turns from some of Melbourne’s best musicians, including Emma Russack and Anika Ostendorf (Hachiku), Big Heart is Pavlovic’s best release yet.

Read our interview with the soulful singer about his new album here.

Read our interview with the beloved singer-songwriter about his latest album here.

Cry Club’s third album cements the Melbourne duo as one of Australia’s most compelling rising acts.

Find out more about the band here.

Best known for songs like “The Show”, “Trouble Is a Friend”, and “Everything at Once”, Australian singer-songwriter Lenka returns with a wonderful new album, exploring the quandaries of life and love in a wistful and whimsical way.

The beloved vocal duo sound as strong as ever on their ninth album.

VIka & Linda celebrated their most personal work to date on a massive national tour.

Run It Back followed an intense period of relentless touring for South Summit, finding them embracing a more expansive and richer sound.

“We’re incredibly proud to finally have this album out in the world,” the WA indie rockers said. “These songs capture a huge chapter of our lives and everything we’ve experienced over the last few years touring, growing and creating together.

“The support from fans has been unreal and we can’t thank everyone enough for being part of the journey. We hope people can connect with this record as much as we connected with making it.”

One of Australia’s most unique rappers is in fine form on his second album.

“’CHALANT’ is about owning the things I grew up on and not filtering myself to fit into what rap is ‘supposed’ to be,” he said. “It pulls from gaming, internet culture, and everything that shaped me, but pushes it into something that still hits hard in a modern context.”

Watch Amy Shark’s recent appearance on the Rolling Stone Uncut podcast here.