I’d like to end a smashing 2025 with something fun and not work related. Here is a list of my favourite records of the year. But of course, I’m not including any artists I’ve worked with (past or present) as much as I would love to have them all here.

Usually I have a clear favourite AOTY pick that I just know it when I feel it, but for whatever reason this didn’t happen to me this year. It got to late December and I still couldn’t tell myself or any one else what my favourite record of 2025 is. Perhaps I didn’t find “the one”, as I’ve found it more challenging than ever to actually keep up with new releases. But, I have heard lots of great and very different records (more than I could possibly list here) across the year, so my solution will be to go down the less exciting route and treat them all equally.

Here are my favourite records of 2025 presented in alphabetical order by artist.

AESOP ROCK // Black Hole Superette
[Abstract Hip-Hop – USA – Rhymesayers]

Geek hip-hop of the highest order. Aesop Rock is making hip-hop that sounds like nobody else, completely off-trend and in his own lane. The guy can rap for days, and I have trouble really following what he is rapping about (that applies to any of his records), but I still have a fun time trying to keep up. I find myself kind of falling into a trance, zoning in on particular words and phrases of his. Black Hole Superette is yet another immersive concept album with strange samples, lots of offbeat humour and tantalising beats aplenty. Aesop Rock also released a second studio album later in the year which I also enjoyed, but it was this one that I found myself revisiting.

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ARMAND HAMMER + THE ALCHEMIST // Mercy
[Abstract Hip-Hop – USA – Backwoodz]

Rapper billy woods remains as prolific as ever, already releasing a solo album earlier in the year that I enjoyed, but this late year entry hooking up with his sparring partner Elucid is what really leapt out at me. As good as woods is on his own, I love it when him and Elucid link up. Probably the best rapping tag team since Raekwon and Ghostface. The Alchemist brings a mixture of head bobbing beats, and some abstract cuts, making this a fun and thoughtful follow up to their previous collab Haram. Seeing billy woods live in Leeds this year was also one of my favourite gigs. He has such a commanding presence even if his approach to rapping is fairly laid back and thoughtful.

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BIG THIEF // Double Infinity
[Indie Folk – USA – 4AD]

Big Thief return with a smaller scope record following their behemoth 80 minute Dragon Warm Mountain project. I warmed to Double Infinity a lot more as I feel it gets much closer to the core of Big Thief’s sound. The songs here are played much looser, with an even more raggedy vibe than what this band usually provide. There’s a pinch of psychedelia and freeness to this sound, and it feels positively intimate, like you’ve snuck in to sit and observe a private rehearsal. Props to Adrianne Lenker who also released a magnificent lo-fi sprawling live record this year which I also really enjoyed.

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BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD // Forever Howlong
[Progressive Folk – UK – Ninja Tune]

Black Country, New Road have gone through a complete overhaul in their sound and approach to music after main songwriter, vocalist and lyricist Isaac Wood decided to step away from the band. They could have easily called it curtains, but instead the remaining sextet have bravely pushed forwards and found a new united sound. The musicianship is so tantalising, with rich virtuoso playing and songs that are packed with progressive twists and turns. The darker and more intense moments of their old sound have evaporated into a much more joyous and positive feeling, taking influence from progressive folk acts like Fairport Convention and Joni Mitchell. The run of ‘Mary’, ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘For The Cold Country’ into ‘Nancy Tries To Take The Night’ is absolutely exhilarating. In fact ‘For The Cold Country’ might just be my favourite song of 2025. Chills. Every. Damn. Time. I was fortunate to see the band perform many songs from the album twice live before the album was actually released, so it was interesting to get to know these songs before hearing the final studio versions.

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BON IVER // SABLE, fABLE
[Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk – USA – Jagjaguwar]

Bon Iver is never one to make the same album twice. SABLE, fABLE sees Justin Vernon bringing together two projects into one here. SABLE was released first as a standalone EP and is the closest Bon Iver has sounded to their classic debut album For Emma, Forever Ago, finding a very stripped back indie folk sound. ‘SPEYSIDE’ and ‘AWARDS SEASON’ in particular are some of Bon Iver’s best and most focused songs ever. Once the album moves into the fABLE section, it morphs into glossy alternative R&B fare. This sound really suits Vernon’s falsetto vocals well, and he’s gone all out to find plenty of glistening textures, light funk grooves and an eclectic pallet of fascinating sonic frequencies.

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ETHEL CAIN // Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
[Singer/Songwriter, Slowcore – USA – Daughters Of Cain]

I would describe this album as doom folk. It kind of sounds like a folk album, played so painfully slowly and drawn out, but in a very endearing way. Ethel Cain’s second full length follows on from her also excellent drone/dark ambient/spoken word off-project titled Perverts, that almost acts as a prologue to this work. Willoughby Tucker is more song based, with very captivating, dreamy vocals. The lyrics tell a story of longing and devotion. It’s a really heavy work, sonically and emotionally. ‘Fuck Me Eyes’ is a fantastic deviation from the formula, with Stranger Things-esque synths, but otherwise it’s beautiful desolation with brittle, richly textured production. Lengthy finale ‘Waco, Texas’ is sublime and will make your heart flutter and your throat tighten.

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clipping. // Dead Channel Sky
[Industrial Hip-Hop, Electronica – USA – Sub Pop]

clipping. are one of my favourite hip-hop acts of the modern era. Their innovation has no bounds and sets them apart from all of their peers. Every album they make has a concept at heart, and for Dead Channel Sky the trio have channeled their love and nostalgia for bangin’ ’90s UK techno. They’ve even gone the extra mile and got The Designers Republic to design the sleeve. Imagine if the soundtrack for Wipeout 2097 had the awesome hyperspeed rapping of Daveed Diggs, and you have an approximate idea of what Dead Channel Sky sounds like. The CD even has a hidden track! Seeing clipping. perform songs from this album live in Leeds was utterly great too. Diggs is like some superhuman when it comes to his mic abilities and breath control.

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DEFTONES // Private Music
[Post-Metal, Alternative Metal – USA – Reprise]

Deftones are one of metal’s most consistent and reliable bands, and even into their mid-’50s they still manage to delight and push their sound and themselves forwards. Contrary to the title, Private Music offers some of their most soaring, catchy and biggest sounding songs in a while. It also feels like the album that has taken them to a higher (and much deserved) critical and commercial success they’ve somehow never quite found – giving them the chance to play bigger shows and festivals after 30+ years of what feels like an ongoing slow triumph. ‘My Mind Is A Mountain’, ‘Infinite Source’ and ‘Milk Of The Madonna’ in particular offer some of their dreamiest songs yet. Private Music is where dreamscapes and metal riffs collide in a kaleidoscope of beautiful fireworks. Seeing them rock an outdoor show at The Piece Hall in Halifax as the heavens opened up was absolutely perfect. One of my favourite shows of this year.

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DILETTANTE // Life Of The Party
[Art-Pop – UK – EMI]

Dilettante is the recording alias/band of songwriter Francesca Pigdeon. Their third album Life Of The Party does what it says on the tin, and is easily one of the most infectious and fun records I’ve heard in 2025. I found it a delight to keep returning to this album. Dilettante sounds a bit like St. Vincent’s prowess mixed with Talking Heads’ sense of groove and rhythm, and even a pinch of Let’s Dance era Bowie. The multi-instrumentalist goes all out across this vibrant set of songs, playing guitar, piano, saxophone, lead vocals and more, which I was able to witness at her live show. Life Of The Party is excellently sequenced and funky as hell, hooking you in from the first second and delivering stormer after stormer.

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GEESE // Getting Killed
[Art Rock – USA – PIAS]

Yes, I listened to Geese. I like the new album Getting Killed by the edgy indie rock band Geese. Just like everyone did. To me they sound like if Radiohead came from New York. Thom New Yorke? Getting Killed displays a fantastic controlled chaos; a band that sound like they are on the ropes and could be knocked out at any minute, but manage to hold it down and win the fight. The album feels so thorough and passionate, delivering and equal amount of catchy anthemic numbers as well as more angular introspective cuts, and I like the playful and frantic sound they have going on. ‘Cobra’ is a massive single, and ‘Taxes’ is just gorgeous. I guess the hype was justified.

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JONNY GREENWOOD // One Battle After Another
[Film Score, Orchestral – UK – Nonesuch]

Jonny Greenwood’s film score work in collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson is often understated and brilliant. I really think the Radiohead and The Smile guitarist has outdone himself here with this eerie orchestral score. When I watched One Battle After Another in the cinema, the score is one of the elements that grabbed me the most and I went out and bought the CD soundtrack right away. It works on it’s own, blending discordant piano, Americana folk and menacing string work, often brimming with tension, darkness and weird touches.

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LA DISPUTE // No One Was Driving The Car
[Post-Hardcore – USA – Epitaph]

La Dispute albums are always lyrically dense, but vocalist and lyricist Jordan Dreyer has really outdone himself with No One Was Driving The Car. Listening to this album has a similar scope to reading a great novel. La Dispute’s storytelling and lyricism is more expansive than ever before. Musically, the rest of the band act as a cushion to bolster the lyricism and spoken word samples, with some of their most stripped back musicianship to date. The raging hardcore moments feel much more sparse here, only used when necessary. The guitar playing in particular is reserved and nuanced, but with a very punchy rhythm section to keep things pulsing. Dreyer puts in one of the most captivating vocal performances of 2025. There’s so much narrative to take in that it makes multiple listens so worthwhile, with more and more for the listener to unpack on each revisit. Is this post-audio book?

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JESSICA MOSS // Unfolding
[Chamber Music, Ambient – Canada – Constellation]

Jessica Moss goes from strength to strength with her latest solo album Unfolding. The Canadian violinist has now made a string of evocative chamber ambient albums now, and Unfolding is another excellent one. The first side brought me back to some of the most emotive parts of early Silver Mt Zion, whilst the second side adds vocal mantras with a very clear message about the genocide in Palestine. “No one is free until all are free”. I had been wanting to see Jessica Moss live for ages, and finally got to see her supporting Swans where she played this album in full, and it was awesome. So I had to buy the record.

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NINE INCH NAILS // Tron: Ares
[Film Score, Electronic, Synthwave – USA – The Null Corporation]

The latest NIN full length sounds like a meeting between Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ film score works. Interestingly, it’s like all of their metal elements completely evaporated in favour of electro, synthwave, straight up beats and plenty of glossy, textured ambient segues. NIN have brought along Boyz Noize for the ride, and the result is one of their most eclectic records since The Fragile. I haven’t seen the film Tron: Ares, but with a score this good, it makes me want to see it. Leading single ‘As Alive As You Need Me To Be’ was a bit of an anthem for me year, it’s such an earworm. I can’t believe NIN still sound this vital after all this time. One of my favourite live concerts of 2025 too.

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ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER // Tranquilizer
[Electronica, Ambient – USA – Warp]

Tranquilizer is something of a back to basics record for Oneohtrix Point Never. Since the release of his 2015 album Garden Of Delete, Daniel Lopatin has made a string of very collaborative albums and film scores, expanding his instrumentation with different genre crossovers. His list of collaborators have included the likes of Anohni, James Blake, Caroline Polachek, The Weeknd, Iggy Pop, Prurient and plenty more. Tranquilizer has no collaborations, and is essentially a solo record. The sound of this album reminds me of much older OPN records such as Replica and R Plus Seven, only sounding bigger and more expansive. Utilising a sound collage (or DJ mix) like flow, these largely electronic based tracks sequence into each other with no spaces or clear boundaries, creating a dreamlike experience. It’s as if Lopatin is pulling out strange sounds from the furthest reaches of a dream and manifesting them in equally bizarre and brilliant ways. Not worlds away from the feel of a Tim Hecker album, Tranquilizer boasts so many fascinating sounds, textures and moods in abundance. Not to say any of his collaborative works were bad at all – in fact Lopatin has been on a remarkably great run – but Tranquilizer sounds so refreshing, like an artist proving something only to themself. Bonus points for sneaking out the thrilling film score for Marty Supreme right at the end of the year too.

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PELICAN // Flickering Resonance
[Post-Metal – USA – Run For Cover]

Pelican were the band that introduced me to post-metal all the way back in my college days, opening up a new world of amazing artists and sounds for me. Considering that I work with a lot of post-metal bands, my PR work may not have happened without me discovering this band. They’re still going strong, inviting original guitarist Laurent Lebec back into the band. Flickering Resonance showcases some of Pelican’s most blissful and joyous melodies yet. The riffs are still fiery, and the tones gargantuan, but this uplifting and sunny feel sets Flickering Resonance apart in their discography. A very fun album to return to, I particularly liked the tempo and mood shifting showcase of centrepiece ‘Specific Resonance’.

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LUCY RAILTON // Blue Veil
[Drone, Minimalism – UK – Ideologic Organ]

My drone pick of the year is the latest record from British cellist Lucy Railton. Blue Veil has been released by Ideologic Organ, which has quickly become one of my favourite labels for experimental music. Blue Veil is one giant suite, and Railton focuses on the lowest notes of the cello to bring out some enormous, sustained, cavernous and bassy tones. I first played this CD in my car on a long countryside drive across endless winding roads and it was the perfect accompaniment.

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ROSALIA // Lux
[Art-Pop, Orchestral – Spain – Sony Columbia]

Rosalia’s fourth album is a real about turn from her previous record Motomami, which showcased a wild hyperpop leaning sound, an album I really adore. Lux instead plays out like an opera with an orchestra, favouring natural timbres. Lux is an album full of drama and bombast, held together by Rosalia’s gripping powerhouse vocal chops. A real banquet for the senses, Lux is a record that is still unfurling the more I dive into it.

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SKULLCRUSHER // And Your Song Is Like A Circle
[Indie Folk – USA – Dirty Hit]

Skullcrusher is not a death metal band, but the recording alias of experimental folk musician Helen Ballentine. Skullcrusher has yet to set a foot wrong, with two EPs brimming with great promise, and a spellbinding debut album reminiscent of Grouper. This sophomore record pushes her craft into more confident areas. Her songs sound bigger than before and the whole album is dripping with evocative textures and layers of sounds. Ballentine has even added looped trip-hop beats to her repertoire, finding a more versatile and colourful set of songs, and her reverb heavy voice is just as brilliant as ever. My pick of the bunch has to be the lovely ‘Changes’.

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MARIA SOMERVILLE // Luster
[Shoegaze, Dream-Pop – Republic Of Ireland – 4AD]

Irish shoegazing dream-pop artist Maria Somerville certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel or shaking things up with Luster. It’s very easy to pinpoint her sources of inspiration – namely My Bloody Valentine, with a pinch of Cocteau Twins and perhaps Julee Cruise. But Luster is an exceptionally well made nostalgia trip and loveletter. ‘Garden’ in particular is a fantastic track, with a thumping bass, and these hazy vocals that drive the track. The pallet of textures here sounds great, and I even got to see her open for My Bloody Valentine in concert. It’s safe to say that if you like any of the above mentioned artists, you’ll surely dig this record.

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SULK ROOMS // Rewilding
[Electronica, Drone, Ambient – UK – Floodlit Recordings]

Prolific Yorkshire based electronic composer Thomas Ragsdale collaborates with acclaimed metal producer and fellow Pijn bandmate Joe Clayton to make one of his largest sounding works of his entire catalogue. My ambient pick for the year, Rewilding sounds like the score to a gritty drama set in the Yorkshire countryside. There’s a real sense of storytelling, pacing and flow to these instrumentals, combining ghostly synths, treated electric guitars and lots of embedded textures. The energetic ‘Innellea’ is reminiscent of Clark as a modulated synth arpeggio escalates in drama as buzzing guitars and thumping club beats surface. The misleadingly titled ‘Hyper Action’ is a wonderful subdued whirring drone that feels like it could have been lifted out of a Tim Hecker record. Rewilding is an album that floats in the back of your mind, and offers a surprising amount of switch ups and left hand turns, that have made it a late entry (December release) earworm that I’ve frequently been revisiting.

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SWANS // Birthing
[Drone-Rock, Post-Rock – USA – Young God]

Swans deliver another gargantuan near two hour double album offering some of their most hopeful and uplifting sounds of their entire reunion phase with a surprising amount of blissful moments to be experienced. Surely the best reunion of all reunions. Swans feel larger than life, denser, heavier and more cacophonous than ever. Seeing them in Leeds this year was also one of my gig highlights of the year. Truly transcendent!

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TORTOISE // Touch
[Post-Rock – USA – International Anthem]

Coming back with their first album in ten years, Chicago post-rock pioneers Tortoise have just returned out of the blue to drop one of their best records. Touch recaptures all the playfulness and character of their best known and loved album TNT. This instrumental album is oozing with brilliant synth sounds, energetic rhythms, vibrant percussion and twangy guitars. The melodies and vibe kind of reminds me of underdog electronic duo Plaid, as there is a similar childlike charm and wonder to the melodies on show. Touch culminates into the wonderful closer ‘Night Gang’ which sounds like a groovy take on an Ennio Morricone Western score. I would have killed to have seen Tortoise live this year, but their only Northern date was scheduled on the same night as My Bloody Valentine. What a kicker!

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JEFF TWEEDY // Twilight Override
[Indie Folk, Folk Rock – USA – dBpm]

I kept waiting for Twilight Override to hit a lull or a dud that never came. I’m not quite sure how he did it, but at 58 years old and with many, many albums under his belt, Jeff Tweedy has put out a triple album 30 songs and nearly two hours long, and it’s 90% bangers. From front to back, Twilight Override is a masterclass of easy-going indie-folky-alt-country-rockin’ tunes with incredible vocals, enough variation and sublime production. I’d struggle to talk about individual favourites since this project is so damn consistent. The first disc could have straight up just been a new Wilco album, whilst disc two is Elliott Smith-esque, chilled, thoughtful and reflective. Disc three is a bit more ragged and wild. All of it is super down to earth, life affirming, warm and uplifting. But yeah, maybe this is the most impressive record of 2025, just from the sheer magnitude and accomplishment of it. Twilight Override was on nobody’s bingo card for this year or any, but it sure is spectacular.

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WREN // Black Rain Falls
[Post-Metal, Sludge Metal – UK – Church Road]

Wren are one of the UK’s greatest post/sludge metal acts that I feel don’t get appreciated enough. Their third record is their best yet, pushing their pained, slumbering sludge to all new heights. Black Rain Falls is crushing, winding, intricate, textured, atmospheric and even meditative. This record feels like everything the band have been striving towards. Other than Sumac, Wren feel like a great successor to the might of Isis, finding an even darker sound.

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