Written by Beau Croxton

May had a lot to offer this year, so it was best to touch on a little of everything. Here are some of Occult’s notable albums, EPs and singles of May 2026….

ALBUM OF THE MONTH:

The Lemon twigs - Look For Your Mind!

The Lemon Twigs (aka the D’addario brothers) have returned with their sixth album Look For Your Mind!, and it extends their untoppable run of records released on the Captured Tracks label. (Be sure to check out our interview with the band here!)

The lead singles “2 or 3” and “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You” set the tone nicely as major earworms— but there’s plenty more where that came from. The title track hypnotizes with Byrds-esque harmonies and a stringy guitar solo backed by killer baritone fuzz-guitar. While past releases have leaned a tad more towards the Beach Boys (and you can still hear that influence), this record feels a little closer to The Beatles a la Help! or Revolver, as well as resembling a bevy of other iconic 60s bands like The Yardbirds and The Who among many others.

Most importantly, the record sounds undeniably like The Lemon Twigs– Michael D’addario’s “Nothin But You” follows the familiarity of one of their best songs “My Golden Years”, as it ends in a swirling delight of lush, layered harmonies. His track “My Heart is Your Hands Tonight” absolutely kills just before the finish line– there are highlights around every corner, and they are often consecutive. Brian D’addario fronts “Bring You Down”, which is a killer rocker and a rally cry against the man that resonates largely in 2026. His orchestral ballad “Joy” is one of their most considered-sounding and beautifully arranged songs yet.

I have a running joke where I say each new Lemon Twigs album is more or less a “Greatest Hits”, (at least since Everything Harmony) and it definitely applies to Look For Your Mind– because the songwriting is so fantastic cover to cover, yet again. This group is on a potent run of brilliant songwriting that just doesn't let up, and it's a trip to see it unfold. It's undoubtedly clear that this group truly cares about the craft, and it always shows in every moment and detail.

Occult Highlights: My Heart is in Your Hands Tonight, Bring You Down, Joy, Look For Your Mind, Gather Round, Fire and Gold, Yeah I Do

8.6/10

Genesis owusu - Red Star Wu And The Worldwide Scourge

Genesis Owusu’s new record is a politically charged one that is often highlighted by uptempo, thumping cuts that are full of bravado and infectious energy. The range shown on the record is incredibly impressive; he can lean into his soulful, D'angelo-esque chill moments just as well as he can rage and rock on the more pumped-up numbers.

His thought provoking bars on “The Worldwide Scourge” are just as sharp as his incredible presence on “Stampede”. Red Star Wu and The Worldwide Scourge is a no-skip album that blurs genre in a seamless way, and it is absolutely littered with highlights.

Occult Highlights: Stampede, The Worldwide Scourge, Pirate Radio, Life Keeps Going, Most Normal American Voter

8.5/10

Primitive RIng- Primitive ring

Primitive’s Ring is a psych-rock supergroup/ power trio that consists of members of Fuzz, Hooverii, Frankie &the Witch Fingers and more. While Charlie Moothart brings his trademark fuzz-soaked riff rock from the Ty Segall/Fuzz universe, and Bert Hoover (hooveriii) and Jon Modaff bring hard hitting heavy psych vibes of their projects, Primitive Ring manages to cover even more ground with all that and then some.

Their debut is riff-packed to the brim and bursting with rock n’ roll energy. The record exudes the styles of Ty Segall/Fuzz, Queens of the Stone Age, Osees, Iggy & The Stooges, Sabbath and a large assortment of fuzz-soaked, modern psych-rock. The very groovy “Paid” echoes Osees and The Doors simultaneously, while “Lies From The Other Side” has pure punk-rock tenacity that wouldn't be out of place on a Dead Boys or Dickies album. Moothart’s face melting solos are a major highlight– anyone who is familiar with his prior work can attest.

Simply put, Primitive Ring shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves anything remotely related to guitar-fuzz, modern-psych or pure rock n’ roll.

Occult Highlights: Heads Will Roll, Paid, Lies From The Other Side, The Callous Man, Fire and Brimstone

8/10

JPEGMAFIA- EXPERIMENTAL RAP

JPEGMAFIA’s new album, EXPERIMENTAL RAP has had a bit of a weird roll out– the lead single “babygirl” didn't feel too experimental, but fans got plenty of ridiculousness once the album arrived, for better or for worse.

“Burning Hammer” features quick bars against marching drum beats and an array of absolutely absurd production flexes before evolving into an eastern guitar line– it's a perfectly Peggy moment. “Pop this Heat” feels immediately classic with soulful gospel samples and playful bars over electric guitar and stabby retro piano.

The album can feel a little bloated and overloaded with short ideas that don't always pan out, but some of the highlights scratch at some of the better work of the last few records. JPEG’s jarring but entertaining “Scaring The Hoes” mentality on production is definitely on display. JPEG has been on a tremendous run for a while, and while this album is a bit of a downgrade from the last few, there's still plenty of great and surprising stuff worth checking out, even if you might not spin the whole project on repeat.

Occult Highlights: Yen, Pop This Heat , Mask On ,GYBB, babygirl, The Ghost of Emmit Till

6.8/10

Little Simz - Sugar girl EP

Little Simz’ new 4 track EP is a straight “for fun" one that channels dance floor and club energy in a different way than her last Drop 7 EP did. On “That’s a No No”, she drops an incredible rapid fire verse, and on “Game On”, JT and Simz glide over a Afrika Bambaataa- esque party beat.

Sugar Girl genuinely feels like a side project and a total deviation; it's a completely different sound that feels more about movement, flexing and braggadocious nature rather than sharply written bars. It’s not exactly at the level of her best studio records, or her last two “Drop” EPS, but in any case, it’s a very enjoyable detour that allows Simz to expand and gives her fans something more to dig into— its a vibe!

7.6 /10

MAY 2026 SINGLES

Vince Staples- White Flag

After the pumped up near-rock vibe of “Blackberry Marmalade”. Vince Staples takes a more swanky approach on “White Flag”. It channels an Amy Winehouse/Dap Kings vibe with dusty, verby drums and a retro funk instrumental. It's no secret Vince is a fan of Amy, he even sampled her on Big Fish Theory, and here, he even drops a nod with the lyric “Love’s a losing game, like Amy sang” .

Vince spits various flows over the retro cut, and the video depicts Vince painting the American flag white, and shooting through it with a rifle. One thing is for certain, these videos and singles are definitely carrying an edge that Vince hasn't explored as thoroughly since his earlier days of Big Fish Theory, Summertime 06, and Hell Can Wait. 2024’s Dark Times was Vince’s best record in a while, but if his imminent album Crybaby keeps up the good work, it might be his best in nearly a decade.

POND- “Through The Heather”

Pond’s new single exudes goth-y vibes with a peppy, skittering club-beat and synth theatrics.

Nick Allbrook serves absolute drama on the chorus, and the band leads great riffy detours into minor-key melancholy.

The band sounds very locked-in on this record so far, and they are tapping into a different energy than they are known for. There’s been a post punk-tinge to their last two singles, and I must say– this slick new outfit looks very damn good on Pond…Terrestrials is shaping up to be really fantastic.

The Strokes - “Falling out of Love”

The Strokes return with their second single from Reality Awaits, their highly anticipated Rick Rubin-produced album that lands on June 26th. There seems to be a bit of divisive reaction due to the reappearance of autotune after autotune was utilized on the (very fun) lead single “Going Shopping”. But both the new Strokes singles have not been very divisive for me, as I have loved Casablancas’ more robotic and vocally processed work with The Voidz and Daft Punk. Time has always shown that when The Strokes take a more divisive route, it usually ends up being a grower that is fully embraced and appreciated a bit later (...“One Way Trigger”, anyone?)

“Falling out of Love” is a dreamy, low-key, heartbreaker ballad with some down-right soulful verses, twinkling guitars and a cosmic outro that may be the best segment overall. Admittedly, even though I love the poignant verses, the melancholic feel, and I don't mind the autotune– the chorus falsetto vocal overpowers the mix in a way that feels slightly disconnected at times. Despite that, when “Falling out of Love” soars, it soars; Casablancas hits a melodic stride in the third verse that prominently displays his unparalleled sense of melody.

It seems Reality Awaits could be a divisive release with different fans firmly on either side of the fence. You can catch me on the excited side of this equation, because these vocal effects are light work compared some of Casablancas’ great tunes with The Voidz, and I have faith that Rubin and The Strokes can definitely have a potent second outing together after their great 2020 album, The New Abnormal. The tune is a vibey grower, Casablancas’ verses here are great, and “Going Shopping” was a blast.

Charli XCX - “SS26”

While Charli XCX’s first single from this era, “Rock Music”, felt like fully her committing to an actual bit just to make a stir– “SS26” feels like a much more solid offering in the sense that it's a hook-y tune you can recite and hold onto.

Her new single (while a little less bold) leans into some cool, lythe, indie-rock-pop vibes that are anchored by melodic basslines, guitars and moody synths. Charli sounds so casual as she details the end of times and a “runway that goes straight to hell”. It's quite an earworm, and it could be a bit of a pessimistic summer anthem if you're in the mood for some drama. Maybe her next era will be a little less flamboyant and “bratty”, but its starting to sound a bit more melodic and catchy thanks to this new single.

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May 2026 In Review: Notable Albums, EPs & Singles