5 albums you need to hear this week

In the age of streaming, it’s never been easier to listen to new music — but with over 60,000 new songs added to Spotify every day, it’s also never been harder to know what to put on. Every week, the team at Rolling Stone UK will run down some of the best new releases that have been added to streaming services.

This week, we’ve highlighted records by A. G. Cook, Labrinth, Only The Poets, Joyce Manor and The Molotovs.

A. G. Cook – The Moment (The Score)

Nobody else could have come on board to score Charli XCX’s new mockumentary The Moment than A. G. Cook, her longtime producer and the sonic wizard behind Brat. On The Moment (The Score), he translates the pressure and the manic nature of the post-Brat era perfectly. Opening track ‘Residue’ draws from the same palette as the original album, but with a new sense of tension, the same anxiety that runs through the upcoming film.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Labrinth – COSMIC OPERA ACT I

Labrinth’s rightfully acclaimed work on the soundtrack to HBO’s Euphoria in recent years means that you’d be forgiven for forgetting the work he’s capable of as a solo artist.

He’s the pop star who achieved a seminal smash with ‘Earthquake’ back in 2011, but more recently he’s the endlessly talented polymath capable of turning his hand to anything he wants. That second point is particularly true on Cosmic Opera: Act I, a sprawling concept album centred around the dark side of the music industry. Or, as Lab puts it, “an artist’s perspective to explore mental illness while navigating a career in the entertainment industry. The paranoia, the confirmation of threats, the desperate and unfulfilling pursuit of success.”

Read our full review of COSMIC OPERA ACT I here.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

The Molotovs – Wasted On Youth

You’d be forgiven for not realising that that The Molotovs – siblings Mathew and Issey Cartlidge – are still in their teens.  Their sharp suits and sharper haircuts have put them at the forefront of a mod revival for 2026, and it’s something they grab with both hands on this spirited debut album. ‘Get A Life’ skips along with an unrepentant punk energy, while ‘Today’s Gonna Be Our Day’ shows off boundless optimism and a willingness to grab this opportunity at hitting the big time. Only time will tell if that’s the case, but there’s no denying that this unique proposition and pair of musical outliers are giving it their all.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Joyce Manor – I Used To Go To This Bar

Masters of the sub-two-minute punk song, California rockers Joyce Manor cram nine songs and all manner of hooks into a touch over 20 minutes on their first new album in four years. I Used To Go To This Bar mixes the band’s trademark melody and sonic crunch, while vocalist Barry Johnson’s lyrics are more cutting and impressive than ever. As the album’s producer (and also Epitaph label boss), Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, says: “If Barry was a novelist, he’ be Ernest Hemingway.”

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Only The Poets – And I’d Do It Again

Arriving just a day before their sold out Brixton show (where tickets were sold at a commendable £1), the debut album from Only The Poets sees the Reading band deal in sounds indebted to the 80s. ‘I Keep On Messing It Up’ feels like an ode to The Police, while  smooth moments of R&B and even funk manifest elsewhere. The sounds might be retro-tinged, but it’s testament to the talent of these lads that they’ve made something that feels perfect for 2026.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music