Bloodline

Bloodline is the second album of Mon Rovîa. I don’t know why this album was added to the 1001 as it is ok, but rather generic music within the genre. It sounds a whole lot like the first two albums of Bon Iver in composition and production. The artist himself calls it Afro-Appalachian Music. I can’t find the Afro part of it. It’s just Bon Iver with a few songs like “Field Song” having more of a distinct Americana feel. I get the feeling the TikTok celebrity status influenced the inclusion. That does not make it a bad album. Artists that influenced him (Bon Iver, Bill Callahan and Jose Gonzalez) and other already included artists (Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes) deserve this spot more. This album is fine, but not nearly as great as those his inspirators produced.

gentle, mild, light, inoffensive, insubstantial - if Babybel Cheese made an album, it would sound like this. a breathy, fey, waste of time, and a senseless addition to a list which still excludes Eric Dolphy, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey (and many other great musicians)

This just sounds like Ed Sheeran with extra steps. For real though, how late in the game were the edits to this new 1001 edition made if an album released 9 months ago made it in? Feels like the contributors had an "oh shit my homework is due tomorrow" moment and threw this in at random with no consideration to how its going to age.

So, you're telling me that this isn't just one of the best releases in the last 5 years, but it's so good that it's one of the best of 2026 before the year is even out? That this will go down in history? That in 2069, we'll look back and go, "wow, yeah, Mon Rovia was always such a genius songwriter" as he collects a lifetime achievement award? I do wonder, what is it that makes albums worthy of hearing before you die? It's obviously not longevity, influence on others, or how different it is. So what is it? And, sure, this is not atrocious, it's perfectly average. But only that. This doesn't stand out. This isn't groundbreaking. This sounds like lots of other generic radio music. Voice was nice enough, no complaints as such. Not against modern music, I'm not into generic man with generic guitar. I had to listen twice to give it a fair chance. It's pretty boring, and I'm overall unsold. But mainly, I'm frustrated and miffed at the selection process of this whole thing.

Gentle, soft, mild, and inoffensive. Nothing here at all warranting inclusion on this list.

Background music for a blonde wood paneled cafe with plastic ferns and disappointingly weak coffee where all the baristas are former child soldiers.

Can't stand this soft and floaty superficial spirituality sensitive nice guy sound. Well assembled, super polished, extremely generic over elaborated cutesy pastoral ukulele core indie folk fresh out of 2005 that might as well be AI is extremely discordant with songs evoking a brutal civil war. The artless sanctimonious emptiness of the corporate coffeeshop / megachurch form undermines any possible content. Ends up having all the emotional impact of a college admissions personal essay. Deeply cynical.

The Mars Volta ran so this could walk

gentle voice and style--reminds me a little of Cat Stevens, though he's not quite the songwriter Stevens is.

It's both interesting and a bit baffling to get all these late-arrivals so late in the collection, especially without much context about the albums or why these selections were included. Regardless, I enjoyed this offering by Janjay Lowe/Mon Rovia, and also appreciated getting a non-UK-based artist amongst the 2020s albums. He has an interesting history--Liberian-born, adopted by US parents, lived a portion of his child- and teenage-hood in Tennessee--and it's nice how he injects glimpses of this in some of the tracks, all of which seem to be a kind of strange overlay of hopeful-sounding music with some pretty depressing topics and lyrics. There's kind of a modern-day Cat Stevens aspect to it all, but not quite as insightful or poignant, and a bit too overproduced for my tastes (or maybe just over-compressed). But I'm glad to have heard this album and artist.

Jack Johnson meets Jack Antonoff

Look I don’t care if you’re from Liberia, Tennessee or somewhere normal. Sanitised music like this is god awful. It has the impact of a bunched up tissue. This isn’t some anti-recency bias either. I bet $5 bucks that this will sound like shit in 5, 10, 20 years time.

What is it about modern folk that just irritates me so much? This guy has an interesting story, coming from Liberia to Chattanooga, but sadly the music is boring, paint-by-numbers guitar folk, with reedy vocals that make me not want to bother to delve into the lyrics (which also aren’t great). Seriously, shouldn’t there be a reverse statute of limitations for albums getting into the 1001? This has only been out a few months and somehow deemed worthy. Baffling. This was maybe heading for a 2, but the last couple of songs pissed me off with their forced cheerfulness so I’m dropping it to a 1.

It's a shame this has been caught up in the 'Robert Dimery storm' as it's a genuinely lovely album- it lifted me this morning and that's kinda the purpose of music? It's not one of the 1001 with shades of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens it weaves a fey folk tapestry- Appalachian vibes too but ultimately a bit generic. Maybe it would have been better placed as a 'User Album'? It's good, but not that good.

Not very interesting. His background may be interesting but his music is not.

This was a nice addition to the main list. The idea of a Liberian-Appalachian musician is either going to be gimmicky or amazing. Fortunately Mon Rovia has the talent to back the idea up. Truthfully, there's more Americana here than Africa, but with a slight undercurrent of his background. The result is sweet, understated folk rock, not unlike something by Bon Iver. I really like this one.

I missed the chance to see this guy at the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year, partly because two polka-dotted aliens happened to be headlining, hence most of the days were sold out. However, having *only* seen Black Country New Road, Father John Misty and Real Estate was a pretty nice concession. Aside from some positive word-of-mouth about his performance, I haven't listened to more than a couple minutes of Mon Rovîa's music. That changes today!! Because I have to listen to it! Or I'll die, or something :0 There’s a word that’s probably used too much in music criticism, or at least in my own thoughts, and that is P O T E N T I A L. Because there is a lot to like about Bloodline, from the endearing melodies, to the thoughtful, stark lyrics, to the rustic treatment that isn’t over-tuned to the TikTok crowd like Noah Kahan or Ella Langley are to my ears. For the most part. “Field Song” and “Heavy Foot” are especially middle-of-the-road in an album that doesn’t stray too far from the indie folk formula. The samples early on in the album, like the church choir and bagpipes in the title track, are perhaps the most adventurous this album gets, though take them out and you’re still left with a good song. Despite the lightness of the overall album, some songs like “Somewhere down in Georgia” veer into a darker, almost Southern Gothic flair that I would like to hear more of from this artist. It’s also the first album I’ve heard that directly addresses the inextricably connected histories of Liberia and the United States (besides Bad by Michael Jackson /s), so kudos to Mon Rovîa 3.5/5, for now HL: title track, “Black Cauldron”, “Pray the Devil”, “Running Boy”, “Somewhere down in Georgia” October 17, 2026

Tender and emotionally resonant modern singer-songwriter album. Though he is from Liberia, Mon Rovîa was adopted by an American family and moved to the States at the age of 7. It was during his time in Tennessee that he was exposed to the kind of folk music that resonates throughout Bloodline, bearing some elements of americana. Bloodline can get a little stagnant at times, but Mon Rovîa's songs never get to a point where I get bored or strictly uninterested. This one is a pleasant pick for the list but not one that strikes me as being in the same league as most of the other albums already included. Mon Rovîa seems more like a rising star than someone who has peaked creatively with something like Bloodline. Perhaps his magnum opus is still within him, yet to be recorded for the world to hear. Regardless, his inclusion along with the other new additions to the list seems more like a co-sign of his potential for greatness rather than a recognition of what was already great.

Ed Sheeran-core. Not loving the production at all.

Really? Really? This is supposed to be an album to hear before you die? And it was added a few days ago? What's so special about this album? Nothing? Sounds like hundreds of similar albums of this genre. The album is ok - it's not bad - but it's simply has nothing worth it being here on this list. And what's the contribution of this album to the history or development of pop/rock music? Absolutely nothing. And whether it will be different in e.g. 10 years only time can tell. But I would be extremely surprised if any. Maybe it was a joke to put it on the list. But somehow I am flabbergasted by this joke.

This blend of polished, low-key country-folk is familiar to me through others, and I had the odd experience of walking my eldest around the outer ring of a stadium as Noah Kahan played the other month. This is likeable, well-meant anachronism that - like the work of Rovîa’s peers - feels like fancy dress rather than the adoption of a form worked out for their material. It’s too shiny, too rousing for this cynic, though I find its grafting to his background enjoyably odd. I’m no fool: music has its fashions, few get into the mix without looking around them. This form just feels played-out on delivery to me.

He has a nice voice, but this is all just a little too safe sounding. I got bored of it about half way through. Milquetoast.

I'm a bit torn over this - one one hand, it's quite lovely. As others observe, Mon Rovia (good name) has a melodic instrumental charm similar to Iron and Wine and clear, intimate vocals akin to Jose Gonzalez (don't compare him to Bon Iver, the poor guy comes from a warzone, he's suffered enough..) On the other, this album's 2026 provenance and incongrous melding of West African civil war snippets with pleasant Appalachian folk stylings (even a foot-stomper citing "chasing huckleberries" ffs) make it a tough sell for me in the current context. One to keep an eye on, may bloom over time.

His Wikipedia was far more interesting than his music, unfortunately. Just very nothing-y and wishy-washy. I won't give it a 1 because I've saved that for things which are actively terrible, but this is so inoffensive that I'm nearly finding it offensive. Its inclusion certainly feels offensive. Edit: You know what, I take it back. It's way too saccharine. Just terrible.

Like everything else made today, this sucks maximum suckage. Zero need for this to be here. 1.0

This was pleasant but again, im struggling to see the reason it is here. Its modern indie folk with a nice warmth but its been done 100 times better. Why does most of the new entries remind me if Bon Iver?

There’s 10/10 albums, and there’s 1/10 albums. The 10s are the greatest pieces of music humanity has created. Timeless classics with no flaws are remembered in the minds of generations. The 1s, on the other hand, are the worst of the worst. These laughably terrible albums, too, stand the test of time. They are remembered not for their greatness, but horrific nature, mocked by all. Somewhere in-between lies the forgotten, the 3/10 and 4/10 albums. All the mistakes of the 1s are present in these records, but without enjoyment potential whatsoever. Some of these albums can be even more excruciating than that of the 1s. Unfortunately, this is exactly where “Bloodline” by Mon Rovîa lives. Generic and predictable, “Bloodline” is forgotten the moment it stops — and that moment inevitably comes soon. Its repetitive sound is dull and tiring after only a few songs. The vocals linger in a breathy, calm niche, afraid to explore other styles. Background instrumentation is consistently simple and static. The lyrics are one-dimensional and surface-level. It's surprising to see a 42 minute runtime, because the music feels lengthy. It pains me to see this album on this list, because there are so many other albums to choose. Frankly, it’s disappointing.

On paper I am very much for an addition like this: a Liberian-born artist singing some Sufjan-esque folk... but yeah, this is not very good. It's the blandest of the bland "too close to stomp-clap for comfort" folk ever recorded. Another reviewer described this as "Ed Sheeran with extra steps", and yeah I hear it.

I like the kind of folksy vibe to it, and it has some solid production, but it's lacking a warmth to the sound. The vocals are over produced at times. Would probably be better live in a small space. If this was a 7 inch record with 2 songs I would be really into this. This is my 5th of the albums added in 2026 and so far they all sound fine, or like something already on the list. They just don't feel like required listening. I finished, then I went to listen to some José González.

Bloodline is incredibly safe folk music. It's fine, I guess. If you like folk that never leaves the well-worn paths of the genre, then you might enjoy this, but I didn't find anything new or interesting here. It's a genre that has been done many times before, and much better. It's just so safe.

"Afro-Appalachian" is Mon Rovîa's preferred term for what he does, and it earns the designation completely — Liberian roots meeting Chattanooga and Montana, acoustic folk tradition meeting R&B and African music sensibilities in a synthesis that feels genuinely lived rather than constructed. The Grand Ole Opry to TikTok range makes sense once you hear it: this is music that belongs to multiple traditions simultaneously without being reducible to any of them. The whispering, unhurried vocal approach invites the Nick Drake comparison — the same intimacy, the same quality of someone singing close rather than projecting outward. But where Drake's radical sparseness was the whole point, Bloodline has an ensemble warmth that changes the experience entirely. The background vocals are a genuine highlight throughout — not decoration but conversation, the record feeling more like a band finding something together than a singer-songwriter working alone. That distinction matters for the rating: the same-same ceiling that Drake bumped against doesn't apply here because the dynamic range is real. The political and social honesty running underneath the beautiful textures is the other distinguishing quality — "Running Boy," "Oh Wide World," and "Heavy Foot" carrying genuine weight without disrupting the lullaby quality of the whole. An artist unwilling to sacrifice honesty for the sake of a vibe, which is the hardest thing to maintain when the vibe is this lovely. A genuinely beautiful four — one of the more unexpected discoveries the project has delivered.

First of the jump back to the new additions for me. Not sure there was much interesting here. Let see how this ages. Right now I see it as a possible example of why not to add current titles to the list without a waiting period.

I can appreciate some of the more salient moments in the streamlined folk artistry of this African-born, Appalachian-raised artist whose music shares some surface characteristics with the one of Patrick Watson or Kevin Morby -- with even less "abrasive" results, believe it or not. I can also appreciate how the delicate first three tracks of this record are drawing on harrowing family events and/or memories in a war-torn Liberia. Janjay Lowe, a.k.a. Mon Rovîa, has had a very interesting life, even if he is still a young man... Check it out online. Finally, I can appreciate the pointedly political lyrics of "Somewhere Down In Georgia" and "Heavy Foot" -- the later being also a rousing anthem in its own gentle way -- which is fitting given what it has to say. What I can't totally appreciate is how twee and blandly produced otherwise very derivative cuts such as "Old Fort Steel Trail" or "Field Song" sound. Apparently, Mumford & Sons was also an early inspiration for Janjay's artistry, and frankly, I could never bear the Starbucks Coffee overtones of that sort of so-called modern folk shtick. Those overtones hover everywhere on the proceedings, and they're making it difficult for me to fully connect with the music. You can play "modern" folk in a manner that goes beyond the expected streamlined and YouTube video-ready tropes. For me those songs still betray the Tiktok-propelled origins of the project, which often fail to leave a significant imprint in the long run. It's a damn shame because Mon Rovîa's stories are authentic-sounding. Yet I don't buy the "package", if you see what I mean. And I wish Janjay could work with different producers to see where he could go from there. This is the first "extra album" from the 2026 edition of the book I have to review (I'm way into the users list now, normally), and it makes me smirk that after (unwittingly) shoving so many eighties post-punk and new wave albums down the throats of this generator's users -- who were not necessarily inclined to dig that style in the first place -- an older (and not necessarily wiser) Dimery ends up selecting this one twee record out of all the releases of the couple of last years or so. Like, when he was younger, followers of Joy Division, Wire and The Fall were OK as some sort of mandatory listen, but now that the eighties are long gone, he doesn't give a rat's ass about the bearers of the post-punk torch today. And so one of his picks today is something that's diametrically different from the sounds of his youth... All I have written in the last paragraph is kind of in jest, of course. I know that Dimery isn't the only writer in the book (he's just the chief editor), but it's fun to pretend he's solely responsible for *all* the past and present picks, as someone on the Discord server for this generator stated today. Too bad that today's pick isn't exactly stellar, no matter what its genre is. This is really what makes the post-punk, indie-rock and *folk* fan that I am want to smirk. Whether as a writer or as an editor, Dimery seems to have lost the thread broadly speaking. But this is nothing new, it's been going on for two decades now. There's a saying my native French language for that sort of situation (don't know if there's a similar one in English): "Old age is like a shipwreck". 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 3 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 2.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 + 1 (addition to the 2026 edition of the book) ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 125 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 143 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 320

Wow this is a really pleasant surprise and just a fantastic listen. Soothing and gentle voice that compliments the melodic turns in the music perfectly. Doesn't really fit my definition of a missed book entry since this was *just released* :P but as for a new discovery, yeah, I'm not sure what else to say other than I will definitely listen to this again. Peaceful and a little emotional. 8/10 4 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

Bloodline is perfectly charming but not as profound as it might want to be, or that some people may think it is. It's the sort of stuff that would find its way into a Scrubs episode where something bittersweet happened. 2/5, inoffensive, charming, but plainly a bit meh.

Boring, super generic indie folk. What are we even doing adding this to the list. It's 9 months old...

3.6 First one of the new batch. What is astounding is that this was released in the same year I'm reviewing it. And we've only just entered October. That means a lot of things have had to be crammed in to such a small space of time - the album has been released, it has to have been listened to and absorbed enough times by Dimery, have a drafted, then polished blurb written up, been included in various stages of review, published and printed, and then released to the masses in the updated version of the great book. I just refuse to believe that has given him enough time to really take on board the new album and determine if it's in the top 1,001 albums in the entire history of humanity that people should be listening to, especially as I'm guessing he's had to zip through upwards of a 1000 albums in this year to review/judge them. It's just too ridiculous. There should be a 3 or 5 year waiting period after an album is released before it can be included in the next version of the book. Let the dust settle, see if you still like it after the 15th listen, see if you still think about it two years down the line, see if anyone else ever mentions it unprompted over the intervening period. Then include it if you so wish. Guarantee you this album won't be present in the 2036 edition of the book. Now to the album itself... Well it's alright. It's comes across very much as early Bon Iver with African flavourings. It's fine, it starts off well but peters out a bit, before the good combo of Somewhere down in Georgia & Oh Wide World. I don't fully get the reason for it's inclusion if I'm being honest, but it was an alright listen.

Mon Rovia is the first Liberian on the list, so imagine my surprise when Bloodline serves me Americana inspired folk music! You don't have to look far to see why, Mr. Rovia was raised in Appalachian Tennessee. Bloodline has a very dreamy sound for a singer-songwriter album. It immediately reminded me of something on the list already, but I don't remember what, possibly Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle by Bill Callahan. Like the Callahan album, Bloodline utilises chamber music strings to achieve the soft, floaty, dreamy sound, and it does elevate the comforting aspect of the folk. I've been ambivalent about the use of autotune in the new additions, loved it in brat, was unimpressed by it in Empty Hands, and unfortunately in this album I think it takes away from the lush and calming sound that Mon Rovia is going for. This style of folk benefits from acoustic sounds, or at least the appearance of such (I.e. don't make it obvious!), and so this blatent use of it makes the singing feel artificial in an album that sounds anything but. I don't think this album is in any way spectacular, but Mon Rovia clearly has a knack for songwriting, and the album is gorgeously produced, so I do see what Dimery saw in this album to make it essential, though I disagree with the final conclusion. Was it a good addition to the list: No. Don't get me wrong, it's a good album and the dude clearly has potential, but singer-songwriter is not an under-represented genre, and as a result I'm expecting artists of this genre to be a cut above the norm. Top 3 songs: Black Cauldron, Day at the Soccer Fields, Bloodline

Not something I would typically listen to, reminds me too much of bookstore or cafe music. I do give credit that it was a decent listen. I initially found it boring and uninteresting, but to my surprise its an album that gets a bit better as it goes along.

indie landfill

I am baffled by these new adds at this point. This is perfectly pleasant inoffensive stuff bur really if they are going down this road they should have gone for Ed Sheeran given the undeniably huge impact he has had Aso i should just copy and paste my comment about The Mars Volta in to every review. 2.5

Look, if you're including an album in this list that is only a few months old that better be like the most groundbreaking or interesting album released in decades... Or like a pop culture phenomenon, that everyone and their dad has listened to since it released... just have something to actually back up it's inclusion. This is none of that. Kinda just a boring pick when you're essentially trying to pick your top albums of the last 5 years (which, let's be real, that's what these inclusions are at this point, most of these new ones will be removed in the next edition)

What the fuck are we doing here.

I usually find modern, heartfelt folk a bit cloying (looking at you, Sufjan Stevens), but this is genuinely moving.

Man, there isn't even a Wikipedia article for this record. And the starkly populated article on Mon Rovîa himself mentions the album just once. Mr Dimery, Robbie, my guy, what the hell are you thinking? There is zero reason for this album to be on a "1001 most important albums of all time" list. Unless its historical importance is literally to pad this book with modern material. Let's give Lowe some credit. There are decent moments. Black Cauldron starts us off with a mellow semi-pop mood, featuring plenty of soft, gentle, reverb-heavy instruments. Acoustic guitar, of course. But also overlapping vocals, synths, pianos... Unfortunately we get an interlude at the beginning of Pray the Devil back to Hell, but then fortunately it only lasts 10 seconds or so, and what follows reflects the first track but with a bit of Mumford & Sons flare. Day at the soccer fields sounds like the beginning sequence of a bittersweet film. Without the vocals it would sound like a semi-ambient soundtrack to an open-world adventure video game. The title track, while decent in theory, sounds so generic that it may as well be a cover of Bruno Mars (or the like). A Foreshadowing, though? Gorgeous harmonies. And exactly as long (1:52) as it needs to be. And Little by Little is a follow-up that fails to bring the excitement level back up. In fact, barring maybe the opening number, none of these songs present much energy or excitement. The "circlin' circlin' circlin'" line in Old Fort Steel Trail sells the song where the octave harmonies do not. Capping off side 1, Whose face am I serves us the seventh consecutive mellow acoustic guitar ballad. Oh Janjay, won't you give us drum-starved peasants something to eat? The soft strings way back in the mix in Running Boy save the song. Otherwise it's pretty nondescript. Field Song is better – we actually get some groove instead of more drearily adequate guitars. Definitely more Mumford influence here. I also enjoy Somewhere down in Georgia, especially those hushed little hits of hand percussion. And the strings, obviously. Violins will save just about any mediocre track. Oh Wide World... boring but effective. It makes me feel warm and sleepy. "Code of many colors" reads like a speech-to-text translation. The song itself is passable with nice harmonies. Heavy Foot, though sonically innocuous, has some cool anti-authority lyrics. And it's pretty dang anthemic. The closing duo of Infinite Pines/Where the mountain meets the sea... hmm. Absolutely no punch at all. Have we learned nothing from the 20th-century rock legends? At least the latter has a nice thick instrumental to send us off on a bright, lighthearted note. Completely arbitrary capitalisation of the track names. Neither good nor bad, but pretty funny. I wonder if Mon Rovîa are trying to appeal to the illiterate youngsters with that move. (You're going to capitalise "Boy" but not "fields", "mountain", or "soccer"? Wha-huh?) 2/5 Key tracks: Black Cauldron, A Foreshadowing, Heavy Foot

Very comforting album, I really like how his voice sounds over the instruments. It does drop in quality about halfway through the album but not too much. I'm probably going to get this one on vinyl someday. :3

Just a bit boring. Good dinner party background stuff if that's your bag, I guess.

In a nutshell: the afro-Appalachia autobiography. The arrangements are gentle. The lyrics are self-reflective and kinda hymnal. Mon states in interviews he grew up listening to his brothers Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes albums, which pairs nicely with the stories he tells. I'm assuming the inclusion of Mon's debut LP in the 2026 edition of the book (which I don't have yet) is founded on his media presence as well as his music. Liberian born and American raised, Mon is one of a handful of artists with a strong following on TikTok. He appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in July 2025 and on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series in September 2026. Impressive! It's nice to hear a new take on Appalachian folk. I just hope this won't be the beginning of a stomp-clap-minus-the-hey indie folk revival. Overall: 5/10

QUI OSE ME RÉVEILLER DE MON ÉTERNELLE DORMANCE? Ah, c’est encore Robert, avec un album qui me donne envie de me rendormir 🥱

Really enjoyed this one. Bought the record

Beautiful folk album! Some of my favourites were Little by Little, Old Fort Steel Trail and Infinite Pines.

I did not expect an Afro-Appalachian folk album to be one of my favorites of the project thus far. This album was great from start to finish. 5/5

This sounds like a blend of José González and The National, two artists I really enjoy. It's a lovely album, and I certainly don't think it's bad by any means. I just don't understand what makes it stand out enough to earn a spot in the book. There are plenty of albums that sound just like this. I'm left wondering what made this one special enough to make the cut in the new edition.

This album was released in January 2026, and after reading a review in *Rolling Stone*, I decided to buy it. Swirling melodies, hypnotic rhythms, and cheerful harmonies create a captivating soundscape. The singer—born in Liberia and raised in the United States—chronicles his own journey from a war-torn Liberia to his coming-of-age in the U.S. The album opens with the shimmering tones of "Black Cauldron," where soaring choruses swell over layers of piano, guitar, and synthesizers, with recurring piano notes providing a call-and-response to the repeated lines in the chorus. The sparkling instrumentation of "Day at the Soccer Fields" evokes the joy and innocence of children playing soccer, even amidst the backdrop of war. The song reminds me a bit of Cat Stevens. Through these intimate, emotionally moving tracks, the singer invites us to journey with him through his own experiences of loss, longing, hope, and joy. The album may not be the greatest sensation of all time—but do we always need that? It is simply a beautiful record. And, if you pay attention to the lyrics, it is also deeply thought-provoking.

Nice with tranquility. I reckon it deserves more listens. Oh well, perhaps on another day.

3.5

All my critiques of this were meta (why are we including 2026 albums, especially ones that have barely moved the needle in terms of the zeitgeist?). The album itself is pretty in my wheelhouse, and whilst it wasn't the immediate knock your socks off delivery of this style that a Bon Iver was, it's a nice enough listen. Hovering between a 3 and a 4.

positiv überrascht, echt gutes Album. Kein Lied sticht besonders hervor, dennoch top.

Junge, ist das geil. Fantastische Musik mit tollen Texten

I was expecting something really annoying from the "World" genre. But listening to this album was actually quite enjoyable. It's too mellow for me to listen to it very often. But it was pretty nice (and I'm a big fan of "nice"). 3/5

Best Song: Oh Wide World. He really channeled all of his "plucky" energies into this one. Worst Song: Infinite Pines. This is just church music. Overall: Some of the lyrics are alright, but his voice sounds like the final boss of "Male Indie Singer". He's got such a twee, shoe-gazey voice, that it's difficult for me to enjoy the album.

It was pleasant enough but dull, very dull. It was the genericist of generic folk and not particularly original. Why is it on thie list?

Some nice chill jams, but since every song sounds similar, the schtick wore thin by the end of the album.

Perfectly pleasant to listen to, but so polished it lacks the authenticity and edge that its subject matter asks for.

Loved this - shades of Noah Kahan

Slow rock

Mellow to the point of sleepiness. A little too much banjo for me maybe. but a very solid 4 stars.

His sound is great though also feels like a Bon Iver or Iron and Wine retread. The lyrical content is fresh and deep though.

Pretty good! And I don't usually enjoy music like this

Was everything released in 2026 dull and derivative? No, but reading this list you’d think so.

An insult to our collective and individual intelligence. Not funny.

The music's fine. There's nothing groundbreaking but it's clear his album's on the list due to the story.

3/5

Pretty chill, easy going background music to work by. Didn’t merit a list addition, other than for coining a new name for a traditional genre - Afro-Appalachian.

Big 3

This guy’s commitment to swiping Cat Steven’s schtick is notable. Even down to the level of vocal mimicry. Cat did it better (and shorter). Still, a handful of definite highlights save this one froma completely dire rating.

Jumped the gun on this one, didn't they??? It's pleasant I guess but there's nothing memorable about it.

Last week I noticed that the total number of albums had gone up to 1102; apparently there's a new edition of the book that includes 13 albums from 2024-26, so here we are. It's pleasant but no different from anything else on the radio right now, and I doubt this one will last particularly long.

Dreamy

- his voice is quite nice but the melodies are not my thing, find them a bit annoying - i also find the "whisper singing" a bit annoying too lol - kind of like bon iver style, but not as remarkable imo - it's not garbage, just not a fan of the formula and because of the "bad" melodies it reads as lazy

Inoffensive and boring

01/11/2026 Never heard of the guy. Never heard the music. Produced in 2026 and should not be on this list. There is nothing great about this album at all. It only gets 3 stars because it was quite boring and it all sounded the same, but harmless nonetheless. Spotify listeners: 2.3 million

Album #1097 (1001 challenge): "Bloodline" by Mon Rovîa (2026) "Bloodline" is the debut studio album by Liberian-American indie-folk artist Mon Rovîa. Afro-Appalachian folk, indie-folk, R&B, and chamber folk are the cited musical genres. The album has acoustic instrumentation (guitar, fiddle, ukulele) paired with cinematic and poetic storytelling. Themes include exploring lineage, adoption identity, war and displacement, Southern Black history, grief, survival and peace. "Black Cauldron" opens with a dreamy synth and piano. Folk with the acoustic guitar. Lowe with a tenor voice looking at the past...something's take him back. Harmonizing and crisscross backing vocals. Pleasant enough. An acoustic guitar begins the self-titled "Bloodline." A swirling background synth. More nice backing vocals. He's walked 10,000 roads. Lowe takes his vocals deeper on "Old Fort Street Trail." A drumbeat and ukulele are added to the acoustic guitar. The songs builds with the backing vocals and music. He needs to let his past go. "Field Song." liven things up. Handclaps, foot stomping and the fiddle. Lowe leading a chorus. A hopeful vibe. Here's your Appalachian folk. Handclaps and the fiddle appear again in "Heavy Foot." A fast strumming acoustic guitar. An uplifting vibe. A protest song and no one's gonna keep us all down. Gentle, folk and minimal. Layered acoustic instruments with a piano, strings and synths in the background. Short, two to three minute songs. Nice harmonizing backing vocals. In general, the lyrics reflecting back at Lowe's ancestry and struggles. This is a pleasant enough album. I'm not sure it belongs in 1,001 but these are lyrically compelling songs. So, if you're into folk and acoustic songs, this might be worth your time. 3 out 5

Not that awful... but boring as hell

haunting, lovely, so good I listened twice

Ok

Kelpo levy tämäkin, joskin vähän geneerinen, mutten ymmärrä miksi juuri tämä tälle listalle. 3/5

Surprisingly great. Never been exposed but love the blending of genres and the tunefullness. 4/5

Pas trop ma came mais très très agréable pour sûr

It was nice without being mind blowing. I heard bits of war on drugs and bon iver in there

Never heard of this artist but enjoyed the album.

Interesting history, but overall it lands somewhere on Indie light. I think this is the equivalent of Easy Listening Indie.

A little mumbly, but I ended up quite enjoying this. It's not ground breaking stuff, but it was basically okay. Three stars.

Wtf

This was a refreshing listen! I had no idea who the hell this was or what Afro-Appalachian music was but I’m definitely not mad at it. Hopefully all of the other new albums are refreshing & different as this one felt.

Decent enough album, nice and chill and super easy to listen to. Maybe a bit boring, but I can't really find anything else bad to say about it. However, once again I just can't look past how needless of an addition this album is when there are just so many others from the last 5 years that didn't make the cut. I have read so many reviews on this site on albums from the last 10ish years from super closed minded people who think all new music sucks. Honestly, I almost don't blame them if this is the only exposure they're getting to new music. I have my problems with the first edition of this book, there are many great albums that got omitted, but for the most part the important ones are there. But from about the year 2000 onwards, I really struggle to take this book and Robert Dimery himself seriously.

1002 albums to listen to before you die? This appears to have been released this year so it was added to the list I guess? It was an enjoyable listen and a little different as it’s kind of African folk music but I’m not sure I would’ve rewritten the list to include it. 2.7

3.8 There are some catchy tunes in here. I liked it. I think he could make a killing selling some songs to the Big Country Machine but would maybe have tweak the themes a bit.

Stomp Clap Rock. This just sounds like Bon Iver & all the other sad boys with acoustic guitars.

Did not have Afro Appalachian musician on my bingo card. Beautifully crafted music, firmly rooted in Americana with African influences, the craft and songwriting was impeccable.