Dickson is able to achieve the balance between post-modern classical and avant-pop she seems to be striving for.

What we get is music that is dark and solemn, but at the same time it is music that moves the listener, as it is able to communicate the effect personal tragedies had on the composer, creating a cathartic experience.

It all flows with quite some ease and sense of personality, something that does present itself after almost 40 years on the music scene, and while some artists lose it after being on the scene for so long, the black watch have still got it.

Ave Grave & Unlearn have created music that ebbs and flows with ease, creating the exact mood pieces that they set out to do.

Blues giant B.B. King is quoted as saying that simple notes are the hardest ones to play and make it sound good, with David August proving him right with different instruments in a different musical genre and setting.

Pine was able to conjure not only the environment she used for her recordings, but the emotions those surroundings impressed on her, transcending the usual field recording scenario.

And it is all in the sonic layers and nuances here, with the duo being able to extract everything their instruments is able to offer.

Here, it all runs as a film noir soundtrack with its ups, downs, stress and calm, all placed in a seemingly perfect order.

The ‘Dream On’ title is a perfect fit for this late-night delight.

Luckily for Lowder and anybody who ventures into her improvs when you are able to find the way into this system, it is that mesmerising effect that wins you over, making this one of the more interesting releases at the start of 2026.

It turns out that Moore has both the technique and the knowledge of quite a few genres, from modern (or not so modern) classical music to jazz and atmospherics conveyed through electronics-oriented genres like ambient.

Six Missing & Almkvisth have created here a balanced set of mood pieces, fit for practically anything without turning into musical wallpaper at any point.

There are multi-layers in music here that you can delve into only after repeated listens that bring out the elements you might have missed the first time around.

McCamman stretches the concept of a pop/rock song as far as it goes without losing either the shape of a melody or a song as such, experimenting, but without going into excess.

Along with Erhasin’s sax variations, the full sound of his quartet never misses a note or a beat here, without sounding overplayed or overbearing.

Essentially, Blanos does take control of this album, keeping the fusion flame alive and well.

The result is 10 tracks of very good to excellent psych rock that sounds both old and new at the same time, to the delight of all psych rock fans.

In a way, Of Becoming presents what Vanbur have already achieved musically elsewhere, but also gives a sense of what could be expected from the duo from now on.

Blake manages to conjure that ethereal atmosphere that can be connected to all things dealing with magic, whether you see light or dark things through it, making this album reach its goal.

No wonder it took Zucker six years not only to come up with music like this but to make it actually work, and yes, it surely does.

It all flows in a truly natural way, sounding like something ECM’s Manfred Eischer would pay anything to have recorded for his label.