Aquakultre — 1783
(Next Door Records)
Named after the 1783 exodus of 3,000 African-diasporic people from New York to Nova Scotia, the upcoming third album from Halifax artist Aquakultre is shaping up to be a restless and important patch quilt of Black Atlantic history. The latest single, “Gallows,” stages an exorcism via a heaving blues spiritual that confronts the unfinished business of his great-great-grandfather, who was executed in Halifax following a wrongful conviction in 1935. “Holy” is a love song from the perspective of a Black Haligonian deployed to World War 1 in the No. 2 Construction Battalion. Meanwhile, “What Are You Sayin’” and “Scotia Born” offer soulful celebrations of the enduring resilience of the community that raised him. — Tom Beedham
Chiquita Magic — Matriarch
(Self- released)
Chiquita Magic, a Colombian-born artist based in Toronto, wrote Matriarch close to the birth of her child. In the Bandcamp notes, she states that she hopes the music will “bring others the peace and calm” that it brought her. The early days of parenthood are a paradox of calm and chaos; of bonding and loneliness. Matriarch was clearly made by someone who understands this. The music is surreal and grounding, weaving together wordless vocals, symphonic sounds, and harmonies with little touches of dissonance. The second track, “Effervescent Thread,” goes on for 15 minutes before stopping abruptly — a testament to unpredictability, like a small child falling asleep mid-play. These touches bend and stretch the possibilities of avant-garde music while also maintaining a sense of calm, like a journey led by a competent guide. This would make a great gift for parents-to-be. — Sarah Chodos
Nick Schofield — Blue Hour
(Backward Music)
By the time February arrives, the winter blues can be crushing, and spring feels like a distant fantasy. It is the worst month of the year. Maybe Gatineau-based musician Nick Schofield feels this way too, because his new, ambient jazz album Blue Hour (out Feb. 6) is a soothing antidote to late-winter gloom. Described as “an ambient ode to Miles Davis’s In A Silent Way,” Schofield’s album blends a soft undercurrent of synths, steady drum beats, and the expressive, improvised trumpet playing of Scott Bevins (No Cosmos; Busty and the Bass). For a 40-ish minute gentle escape, throw on Blue Hour. — Laura Stanley
Lillyglide — lillypilled
(Self-released)
Lillyglide, a Toronto drum and bass artist and junglist, has been honing her production skills for a few years now, and her latest is a testament to the work she’s put in. lillypilled’s strengths are rooted in stark contrasts, fusing hyperpop and garage on one track, then flipping a familiar UK dance-pop hit from the 2010s into something much more melancholic — its skittering snares and pitched-up voicings hit like a lump in the throat. The album is bookended by tracks co-produced with longtime collaborator 2L&L, making the whole thing a solid endeavour. Put this album on and you too may find yourself lillypilled. — Michael Rancic
Overnight — Put Me in Your Light
(Label Obscura)
Sister duo Lynette and Carla Gillis, formerly of ’90s Halifax indie rock outfit Plumtree, have returned with their sophomore album as Overnight. Put Me in Your Light is a portrait of whispered intimacy and cathartic emotional release, a sonic diary of the Gillises processing grief over the loss of their father and navigating an arduous move from Toronto to Halifax during the pandemic. The album balances quiet interiority and rolling thunder riffs, all centred by mellifluous melodies and choruses. Tumultuous and tender, Put Me in Your Light is an illuminating listen that buoys the human spirit in trying times. — Leslie Ken Chu
Tha Rhyme Animal — LL Cool TRA
(SARS RECORDS)
If the album title from this Toronto hip-hop mainstay doesn’t tip you off, the art riffing on LL Cool J’s 1987 Bigger and Deffer certainly will: LL Cool TRA is a love letter to hip-hop’s golden era. Projects like this can often seem uninspired and rote. After all, how can they compare to the classics? But here Tha Rhyme Animal sounds invigorated: from the hypnotic hook of “Touch You” to the clever weaving of interpolations on the Xentury-assisted “Hooked” to the moody introspection of “Skyline,” this is an engaging and original work, showing reverence for the GOATs without living in their shadows. — Michael Rancic
This article appeared in the 2026 Feb/Mar issue.