The Lead Sheet ~ 5/12/2026

The Lead Sheet is your guide to this week’s new music - taking a look at newly released albums, who made them, and how listeners are responding. 

New Zealander Hannah Sian Topp, A.K.A. Aldous Harding, released her fifth full album, Train on the Island to phenomenal reception. The indie-folk singer’s new work is being called the best of her career, with high marks from most critics, and overwhelming enthusiasm from fans. The album’s sound is minimalist, constructed mainly of acoustic guitar and piano, with understated synths that create a twinkling texture, reminiscent of 70’s Joni Mitchell. Harding’s vocal range is well utilized – playing several distinct characters with unique cadences. Train on the Island explores themes of mental health, dissociation, and neurodivergence, showcasing some of Harding’s most intimate lyrics. Harding will tour the album internationally throughout 2026, with performances in Europe, the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand. 

British alt rock group Basement returns this week after an eight year hiatus, releasing Wired, their fifth LP , and first since 2018’s Beside Myself. Beside Myself was the group’s first project with label Fueled By Ramen, and Basement credits that experience for their burnout, as well as disillusionment with the music industry, leading to the band taking time off. Prior to Wired, Basement was known for an alt-rock 90’s emo sound, but their new project expands into other genres like shoegaze, post-punk, and metallic rock. Critics rate the album highly, but some of Basement's more die-hard fans are divided; some see it as a triumphant return, others feel the album lacks the punch and impact of their earlier work, also pointing out some technical flaws like muddy mixing and uninspired lyrics. Basement is currently on a short record store tour in the UK, with a larger leg planned for Europe in June, and will headline the Manchester Outbreak Festival on June 28th.

Toronto based indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene released their sixth studio album, Remember the Humans, on Friday, following an extended gap of nine years since their previous record, 2017’s Hug of Thunder. Fans have noticed that with each new installment, the gap between albums increases by two years. If the math is correct, it may be eleven years before Broken Social Scene’s next LP. The group’s headcount has fluctuated over the years, with as few as six members, or as many as nineteen, and includes artists like Feist, Emily Haines, and Amy Millan. The group’s frontman Kevin Drew waives any intentionality behind the album release gaps following a pattern, citing the scheduling difficulties of getting the group together as the main culprit. Remember the Humans continues the group’s “wall of sound” style of rock, with chamber pop and psychedelic influence. Fans and critics highlight tracks like “Relief”, which features Lisa Lobsinger’s effortless vocals, and the Feist-led “What Happens Now”. Broken Social Scene will kick off a major world tour starting in North America on June 8, then Europe and the UK in September. 

The Lemon Twigs’ sixth album, Look For Your Mind! released this week, hailed as their most adventurous installment to date. Known for their ‘60s and ‘70s pop-rock revival sound, the duo’s sound takes inspiration from the Beatles, Beach Boys, and The Who. Look For Your Mind! Sees the Lemon Twigs push deeper into the more psychedelic and experimental side of the era, featuring upbeat sunshine pop, juxtaposed with darker lyrical themes like paranoia, AI dread, and loss of privacy. The new project is a big hit with fans and critics, who appreciate the tone shift and poignant lyrics, with a few comparisons to Rubber Soul. Standout tracks include “Joy” which explore a deep melancholy around writer’s block, and “2 or 3”, in which the narrator feels culturally and intellectually inadequate to his partner. The Lemon Twigs are currently on a massive world tour to support the album, which began in the U.S. in April and will continue through 2026, with stops in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Europe. 

Montreal’s post-punk trio Cola successfully launched their third album, Cost of Living Adjustment, or C.O.L.A. Described by the group as their most "maximalist" work, Cost of Living Adjustment experiments with complexity in its composition, layering instruments and leaning into strong melodies. Thematically, the new record explores capitalism and socialism, nostalgia, and existentialism. The lead single, Hedgesitting, describes the modern anxieties around fleshing out a political position, and the feeling of being forced into taking a side. C.O.L.A. demonstrates the band’s catchiest riffs, and is held up by fans as a good entry point for new listeners, given the album’s accessibility and replay value. Frontman Tim Darcy also shifts from a sing-speak vocal delivery, to more traditional singing to drive home the new weighty melodies to great effect. C.O.L.A. is also rated highly by critics, who embrace the group’s new direction and reinvention as a seamless pivot. Cola is set for a world tour June through November, and will play in Australia, North America, the UK and Europe. 

Aldous Harding - Train on the Island

Released May 8th, 2026

4AD Records

Basement - Wired

Released May 8th, 2026

Run For Cover Records

Broken Social Scene - Remember the Humans

Released May 8th, 2026

Arts & Crafts, City Slang Records

The Lemon Twigs - Look for your Mind!

Released May 8th, 2026

Captured Tracks

Cola - Cost of Living Adjustment

Released May 8th, 2026

Fire Talk Records