Music of 2025
There is still more music released in a single day than anyone can realistically listen to, properly absorb, and form weird unconscious connections with over the course of a whole year. Even the lists don’t agree anymore. There is no more consensus. Please scroll to the end for the playlist links.
These are the albums and songs that grabbed me in 2025:
Automatic – Is it now?
That the drummer’s dad is Kevin Haskins from Bauhaus has nothing to do with how brilliant this album is. No Wave vs. ESG danceable post-punk. SPOTIFY
Blondshell – If you asked for a picture
Fits into a lot of what I like: Snail Mail, Japanese Breakfast, Veruca Salt, PJ Harvey. She’s also got a Kirsten Hirsch thing going on. SPOTIFY
Anika – Abyss
An upbeat post-punk Nico. SPOTIFY
Deafheaven – Lonely people with power
I don’t listen to much metal, but this caught me off guard with its shoegazey interludes and quieter moments before the church burning. SPOTIFY
John Maus – Later than you think
Deep voiced Roxy Music ‘Avalon’ era with a casiotone. I just make this shit up. SPOTIFY
Preoccupations – Ill at ease
A long time listener since their Viet Cong days. There’s some Interpol, Bauhaus, and Psychedelic Furs lurking. SPOTIFY
They are gutting a body of water – LOTTO
Kinda Slinty, kinda Pavementy, but also kinda heavy and sludgy. SPOTIFY
Geckos – Geckos
Made up of Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) M. Ward, and McKowski and formed after they hooked up at a mutual friend’s wedding. The sound is reminiscent of Calexico at closing time. SPOTIFY
Just Mustard – We were just here
I’ve had them on these lists before. Think of them as new ‘Cranes’ with a shoegaze meets the little girl lost in the forest vocals. SPOTIFY
Chantelle Gray – The Passaging
I’d just listened to Boards of Canada’s ‘Olsen’ slowed down by 800% on YouTube, and then came across this on Bandcamp a few days later. It’s the sound of cells dying, the sound of the upper atmosphere. Not for everyone.
Listen HERE on Bandcamp
Seasurfer – Electronic Monsters
Swirling dream-pop/shoegaze gothyness. SPOTIFY
There were tons of songs too: Swans, Sharon van Etten, LA Witch, DIIV, Desire, Femur, Tummyache, Mogwai, Winter, Orville Peck, Sleaford Mods, Nation of Language…
As is custom, I’ve put these plus tracks from my favourite albums into two Spotify playlists with terrible artwork:
These playlists are also on Deezer and Apple Music. All the albums are on the other services too except for the Chantelle Gray which is only on Bandcamp.
Notable omissions:
Big Thief (BT Overload for me I’m afraid, much like Mr. N. Cave at the moment)
Bobby O (I cant work out if this was an AI generated project or if it is, indeed, the real Mr. Orlando. Either way, it’s more of the same. Also, the shitty duck cover…)
Geese appeared on several lists. I didn’t get them. Same with Alex G.
Wet Leg (Sometimes, one album is enough to see one through a cycle)