Favourite Albums 2025
(Some of) My album choices from 2025
Two thousand and twenty-five proved itself a year of calculated departures. Artists who'd spent the previous decade consolidating their voices suddenly pivoted—not toward commercial compromise, but into stranger, more structurally ambitious territory. The albums that emerged carry a particular signature: they reward close listening while refusing the algorithmic tidiness of playlist logic. They are wilfully textured, often uncomfortable, and persistently rewarding.
The albums collected here share little obvious sonic ground. RosalÃa's Lux strips flamenco to its spiritual skeleton; Los Thuthanaka fuse Andean folk with corrosive electronics; Hayley Williams dismantles pop-punk memory in favour of art-rock excavation. What unites them is a commitment to complexity—not as aesthetic posturing, but as emotional necessity. These are records that understand that contemporary experience is fragmented, overstimulated, and resistant to easy resolution. They respond not with simplification but with more sophisticated architectures of sound.
This list - my list - privileges fearlessness over polish, transformation over perfection. It acknowledges the experimental (aya's hexed!, YHWH Nailgun's 45 Pounds) alongside the meticulously crafted (Erika de Casier's Lifetime, Blood Orange's Essex Honey). It recognises that innovation occurs as readily in the margins of underground hip-hop as in the reconfigured pop of Addison Rae. The connective tissue is a refusal of stasis—artists unwilling to repeat themselves, even when repetition would be commercially safer.
What follows is not a claim of definitiveness but an argument for adventurousness: invitations to listen harder, to trust music that doesn't immediately reveal itself, to value the restless over the reliable.
RosalÃa – Lux
Expanding on the minimalism of Motomami, Lux is a radiant, cinematic exploration of flamenco-noir and industrial pop. RosalÃa strips away the ornamentation of her earlier work to reveal a core of raw, spiritual intensity. The production is sparse but overwhelming, utilising silence as an instrument alongside distorted palmas and shimmering synthesisers. It is a challenging, blindingly bright album that solidifies her status as one of the most vital pop auteurs of her generation. And this is not me getting on the hype train, at all.
Los Thuthanaka – Los Thuthanaka
A stunning debut that feels like a transmission from a future civilisation. Blending Andean folk rhythms with deconstructed club beats and psychedelic noise, this self-titled record is a joyous, unmastered tapestry of sound. It refuses to sit still, morphing from huayño dance steps to trance-inducing loops in seconds. It is a celebration of indigenous identity wrapped in a sonic package that is both ancient and aggressively futuristic.
Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
Hayley Williams’ first undisputed solo masterpiece is a visceral, sprawling exorcism of trauma and public identity. Moving far beyond the pop-punk of her past, the album embraces art-rock textures and jagged, experimental structures reminiscent of Kid A or The Dreaming. Her vocals have never been this elastic or expressive, navigating lyrics that are brutally honest about aging, femininity, and the industry. It is the sound of an icon finally speaking entirely on her own terms.
Dijon – Baby
Baby is an intimate, sweaty, and soulful deconstruction of R&B. Dijon captures the feeling of a late-night jam session in a living room, where every crack in the voice and creak of the floorboards adds to the emotional weight. The songs are loose and impressionistic, built on loops and raw instrumentation that feel dangerously close to falling apart, yet are held together by his undeniable charisma and heart-wrenching storytelling.
Oklou – choke enough
A hauntingly beautiful collection of atmospheric pop that feels like it’s dissolving in real-time. Oklou’s production is submerged and ethereal, with melodies that float like mist over deep, throbbing basslines. The songwriting is sharper and more direct than her debut, creating emotional hooks that linger long after the haze clears. It is music for the end of the night, fragile and captivating.
Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal
The Geese frontman’s solo debut is a shocking departure from his band’s post-punk energy. Heavy Metal is a piano-led, stream-of-consciousness odyssey that draws heavily on Leonard Cohen and early Tom Waits. The songs are devoid of traditional choruses, relying instead on Winter’s croon and escalating lyrical absurdity to build tension. It is a brave, literary record that demands—and rewards—intense listening.
Wednesday – Bleeds
Wednesday continues their reign as the best band in indie rock with Bleeds, a record that fuses shoegaze noise with the storytelling heart of country music. The guitars are louder and sludgier than ever, creating a wall of sound that threatens to bury Karly Hartzman’s vocals, only to pull back for moments of devastating clarity. It is a portrait of the American South that is both grotesque and tender.
Geese – Getting Killed
Released just months after Winter’s solo album, Getting Killed sees Geese doubling down on their frantic, nervous energy. The album is a tight, explosive set of art-punk tracks that feel like they are constantly on the verge of derailment. The grooves are sharper, the guitars more angular, and the attitude entirely infectious. It captures the chaotic spirit of New York City better than any record in recent memory.
Nourished By Time – The Passionate Ones
Marcus Brown’s The Passionate Ones is a lo-fi R&B gem that feels like a lost cassette from the 80s. His production is dusty and nostalgic, but his vocal delivery is urgently modern, grappling with capitalism and loneliness. The album manages to be deeply funky and heartbreakingly sad at the same time, a unique blend of Off the Wall-era MJ and underground synth-pop.
Amaarae – Black Star
Amaarae refines her "Afro-fusion" sound into something sleek, dangerous, and globally appealing. Black Star moves effortlessly between alté, pop, and baile funk, united by her signature whisper-rap delivery. It is a confident, sexually charged record that pushes the boundaries of what African pop music can sound like in 2025.
Smerz – Big City Life
The Norwegian duo returns with a cold, mechanical, yet strangely alluring take on deconstructed club music. Big City Life is a concept album about urban alienation, filled with jagged rhythms and detached vocals. It’s a challenging listen that perfectly captures the isolation of the digital age, wrapped in production that is razor-sharp and impeccably designed.
Addison Rae – Addison
In the year's biggest critical surprise, Addison Rae pivots fully into hyper-polished, PC Music-adjacent pop. Executive produced by A. G. Cook, Addison is a glossy, satirical, and undeniably catchy exploration of internet fame. It embraces the artificiality of her persona, turning it into a weapon of mass distraction with bubblegum bass beats and earworm choruses.
Sudan Archives – The BPM
Brittney Parks continues to revolutionize the violin with The BPM, a record that is faster, harder, and more dance-oriented than her previous work. She loops her strings into frenetic house and techno beats, creating a sound that is organic yet club-ready. Her lyrics remain fiercely personal, exploring themes of body autonomy and rhythm as a life force.
Earl Sweatshirt – Live Laugh Love
Despite the ironic title, this is one of Earl’s most dense and abstract projects to date. The beats are brief, soulful loops that often lack drums, leaving his complex rhyme schemes to carry the rhythm. It is a hermetic, introspective record that rewards those willing to parse through his dense wordplay and murky production.
Barker – Stochastic Drift
Barker returns with another masterclass in kickless techno. Stochastic Drift is built on shimmering arpeggios and euphoria-inducing synth swells that imply rhythm without ever fully landing. It is weightless dance music, designed for the headspace of the rave rather than the dancefloor, creating a sense of infinite ascent.
PinkPantheress – Fancy That
Expanding her sonic palette beyond drum and bass, PinkPantheress incorporates UK garage, 2-step, and even bossa nova on Fancy That. The songs remain short and sweet, but the songwriting is more robust, with stronger bridges and more intricate melodies. It’s a charming, nostalgic record that proves she is more than just a viral sensation.
Water From Your Eyes – It’s a Beautiful Place
Nate Amos and Rachel Brown deliver their most accessible yet still deeply weird album. It’s a Beautiful Place combines their trademark industrial loops with surprisingly warm, strummed guitars and sincere melodies. It feels like a deconstruction of a pop-rock album, putting the pieces back together in the wrong order to create something fascinating and new.
Titanic – HAGEN
Mabe Fratti and Hector Tosta’s collaborative project Titanic delivers a chamber-pop record that is steeped in jazz and avant-garde traditions. HAGEN is driven by Fratti’s cello and Tosta’s guitar, creating intricate, interlocking patterns that support their haunting vocal harmonies. It is a cerebral, beautiful record that feels like a classic 70s art-rock album reimagined for today.
Nick León – A Tropical Entropy
Miami producer Nick León creates a sweltering, humid atmosphere on A Tropical Entropy. The album fuses reggaeton rhythms with ambient textures and swampy field recordings. It sounds like a club night in the middle of a rainforest—percussive, wet, and teeming with life. It is a standout in the global bass scene.
billy woods – GOLLIWOG
Underground hip-hop’s most consistent enigmatic figure returns with a scathing, dense, and literary album. GOLLIWOG tackles race, history, and colonization with woods’ trademark dark humor and complex flows. The production is dissonant and jazzy, providing an unsettling backdrop for his vivid, novelistic verses.
aya – hexed!
Following up im hole, hexed! is another disorienting trip through aya’s psyche. The production is spiky and unpredictable, mixing grime, noise, and spoken word. Her lyrics are a stream of consciousness that moves from hilarious to terrifying in a single breath. It is uncompromising experimental electronic music that demands your full attention.
Alex G – Headlights
Alex G pivots back to a more band-oriented sound on Headlights, shedding some of the hyper-pop gloss of God Save the Animals. The songs are rugged, acoustic-driven indie rock tunes that feel timeless and road-worn. Yet, his signature weirdness remains in the pitched-up vocals and eerie background textures that lurk beneath the surface.
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Dev Hynes returns to his roots with a stripped-back, guitar-focused album. Essex Honey is a melancholic tribute to his upbringing in the UK, blending indie pop with the soulful R&B he perfected in NYC. The result is a tender, nostalgic record that feels like a rainy afternoon in a suburban bedroom.
Rochelle Jordan – Through the Wall
Rochelle Jordan continues to own the lane where 90s R&B meets UK rave. Through the Wall is sleeker and more propulsive than her last, with production that leans heavily into drum and bass and jungle. Her vocals are airy and angelic, floating effortlessly over the breakbeats to create a sound that is both nostalgic and futuristic.
Erika de Casier – Lifetime
The Danish singer refines her "soft R&B" aesthetic on Lifetime. The production is crisp and minimal, heavily influenced by early 2000s pop and G-funk. Her songwriting is subtle, focusing on the micro-dramas of relationships with a cool, detached delivery that is utterly magnetic.
Djrum – Under Tangled Silence
A sprawling electronic odyssey that refuses to be categorized. Under Tangled Silence moves from ambient piano pieces to furious breakcore and orchestral dubstep. Djrum’s mastery of texture and pacing makes this 90-minute journey feel coherent, a cinematic experience that explores the outer limits of bass music.
caroline – caroline 2
The London collective expands their post-rock sound on this sequel to their acclaimed debut. caroline 2 is quieter, more patient, and more devoted to silence. The songs build imperceptibly from improvised folk murmurings into massive, cathartic crescendos of strings and feedback.
YHWH Nailgun – 45 Pounds
A brutal, noisy, and exhilarating debut from the NYC experimental rock outfit. 45 Pounds sits somewhere between industrial hip-hop and noise rock, driven by pummeling percussion and shouted vocals. It is the sound of urban anxiety distilled into 40 minutes of controlled chaos.
Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures
Ichiko Aoba abandons the guitar for a fully orchestral, ambient palette on Luminescent Creatures. Her voice is a whisper that guides the listener through underwater soundscapes and dreamlike arrangements. It is a peaceful, meditative conclusion to the year in music, offering a sanctuary of pure beauty.
Squid – Cowards
On their third LP, the British post-punk outfit abandons the frenetic anxiety of their debut for something darker and more spacious. Cowards is a study in tension, built on motorik rhythms and eerie, textural synthesizers that hover like fog over Ollie Judge’s desperate vocals. It’s a claustrophobic, political record that trades mosh-pit energy for a creeping, psychological dread that is impossible to shake.
Joanne Robertson – Blurrr
A masterpiece of "brumous folk," Blurrr sounds like it was recorded in the space between waking and sleeping. Robertson’s guitar playing is open and fluid, weaving around her hushed, abstract vocals to create a soundscape that feels both intimate and vast. It is a fragile, painterly record that rewards deep listening, revealing new layers of melancholic beauty with every spin.
Lifeguard – Ripped and Torn
The Chicago trio delivers the year’s most electrifying indie rock debut, channeling the melodic noise of 90s stalwarts like Unwound and Sonic Youth. Ripped and Torn is relentless and kinetic, driven by interlocking guitars and a rhythm section that feels telepathically connected. It captures the raw, unpolished excitement of a basement show, proving that guitar music can still sound dangerous and vital.
The Tubs – Cotton Crown
The Welsh jangle-pop revivalists return with a record that perfectly balances punk urgency with heartbreaking melody. Cotton Crown is sharp, witty, and deceptively catchy, hiding tales of mental health struggles and modern alienation behind shimmering Rickenbacker guitars. It’s a punchy, instant classic that feels like a lost gem from the C86 era, updated for the anxieties of 2025.
Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
This Los Angeles quartet continues to redefine "ecstatic black metal" with a record that is as joyous as it is punishing. The Spiritual Sound utilizes the genre’s trademark tremolo picking and blast beats not to summon darkness, but to induce a trance-like state of euphoria. Interspersed with pedal steel guitars and choral interludes, it is a life-affirming blast of noise that feels like staring directly into the sun.
Benjamin Booker – LOWER
Returning after a long hiatus, Benjamin Booker completely abandons the garage-punk of his debut for a darker, more experimental art-rock sound. LOWER is a brooding, nocturnal album built on drum machines, synthesizers, and Booker’s weary, rasping voice. It draws heavily on the isolation of city life, sounding like a modern update of Iggy Pop’s The Idiot—cold, detached, and utterly compelling.
Enji – Sonor
Mongolian singer Enji creates a hushed, jazz-folk masterpiece that transcends language barriers. Sonor blends traditional Urtiin duu (Long Song) vocal techniques with brushed drums and upright bass, creating a sound that is incredibly spacious and intimate. It feels like a private conversation in a dimly lit room, where every breath and plucked string carries immense emotional weight.
SANAM – Sametou Sawtan
A revelation from the Beirut underground, SANAM mixes free jazz, post-punk, and traditional Arabic poetry into a volatile, psychedelic stew. Sametou Sawtan is raw and improvisation-heavy, capturing the anxiety and resilience of living in a city in flux. The interplay between the distorted guitars and the hypnotic, chanting vocals creates a ritualistic atmosphere that is both terrifying and beautiful.
