Top albums of 2025

Raya:

Bloodless – Samia

9.5/10

American singer-songwriter Samia is back with her prickly, raw third full-length LP Bloodless. With 13 tracks and a 40-minute runtime, this record takes you on a fully fleshed-out journey across an ambient landscape and cutting lyrics. “Bovine Excision”, arguably the best song on the record, kicks off the record with smooth guitars and a slow build, both of which are common occurrences on this record. “North Poles”, my personal favorite track, takes its pop-country influences and whorls them into a levitating experience. “When you see yourself in someone, how can you look at them?” She sings on this track. Written in blood, Bloodless is seeping with emotion and charisma, and it is my favorite record of 2025.

Highlights: Bovine Excision, Spine Oil, North Poles, Pants

Low Points: None

Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams

9.4/10

Frontwoman of Paramore, American singer-songwriter Hayley Williams, released her third solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, earlier this year, and it’s awesome. Williams had always been a profound writer with a flair for brutal honesty and addictive melodies. For a longer record, with 20 songs and an hour and six minutes of runtime, Ego Death doesn’t drag much, thanks to its diversity in sound and subject matter. “Parachute” is the undeniable highlight of the record, thanks to its vocal delivery in the second verse alone, which triggers a visceral reaction on first listen. “You could call me Miss Paramore,” Williams cheekily sings on the groovy yet cutting “Good Ol’Days”. Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party cements that Hayley Williams can stand just as tall without Paramore, and some might say taller.

Highlights: Ice In My OJ, Glum, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, Blood Bros, Parachute, Good Ol’ Days

Low Points: None

Ruby – JENNIE

9.3/10

Ruby is the debut album from South Korean singer and rapper JENNIE. On Ruby, JENNIE carves out a clear, charismatic voice, infusing K-pop influences into classic pop formulas to create a fresh yet timeless sound that only JENNIE could pull off, and she says as much on the track “like JENNIE,” one of the best K-pop songs of the year and best rap of JENNIE’s career. With wide-ranging themes and genres across the record, yet cohesive packaging and messaging, Ruby stands out among the other mainstream pop records of 2025, with a distinctive, individual vision and masterful execution.

Highlights: like JENNIE, with the IE (way up), ExtraL (feat. Doechii), Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike), ZEN, Seoul City, Starlight, twin

Low points: None

Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You – Ethel Cain

9.3/10

Ethel Cain, American singer-songwriter, 2nd full-length album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, the second installment and precursor to the Preachers Daughter saga. On Willoughby, Cain builds an entire world of drawn-out ambience and ethereal vocals, setting a haunting scene for her characters. The main asset of this record is the space Cain gives these songs, allowing them to breathe and infusing the atmosphere with life. There is no short song on Willoughby; only movie scenes, with 10 songs and an hour and 13-minute runtime. This does at times lend the record a tendency to be bloated, but most of the time it’s good, and when Ethel Cain is good, she’s masterful.

Highlights: Nettles, Dust Bowl Tempest, Waco Texas

Low Points: Radio Towers

Light hit my face like a straight right – Mallrat

9.2/10

Light hit my face like a straight right is Australian singer-songwriter Mallrats’ 2nd studio album makes you want to dance from night till dawn. Exploring the relationship between love, light, and heartbreak, this record takes you on a hypnotic journey with pulsating synths and melodies, and a surprise at every turn. “Can somebody let me out of myself?” Mallrat sings repeatedly on the melancholic closer “Horses,” which builds on plucking untuned strings, an oasis in the sea of dance and ambient pop across this record. Light hit my face like a straight right mark leaps in Mallrats’ artistic growth, making it one of the best pop records of 2025.

Highlights: My Darling My Angel, Pavement, Defibrillator, Hocus Pocus, Hidaway, Horses

Low Points: Ray of Light

Alister:

Beauty of Death – Ends in Tragedy

Ends in Tragedy is an up-and-coming metalcore band from Australia that has dropped one of the hardest projects of the year for me. Every song on this 15 minute EP is brimming with electric riffs and intense drumming, it’s hard to even pick a favorite. The vocals are truly gorgeous and really are the heart of this whole EP. Beauty of Death is endlessly creative and absolutely flawless, and I’m personally excited to follow the band going forward. I highly recommend to any metal fans looking for a really enjoyable time.

Hamnet – Max Richter

As a fan of Richter’s work for a while, he’s consistently proven that he is one of the greatest composers of our time. That said, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this soundtrack, especially because I haven’t even seen the film. Unsurprisingly, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Richter’s compositions and motifs are truly moving and introspective, crafting an overall experience that is calming but that carries a deep emotional weight. Not to mention that it includes Richter’s famous song “On the Nature of Daylight,” which never fails to absolutely devastate me. Few other artists capture the feelings that Max Richter does, and this is just a great showcase of his talents.

Rgyaġdźé! – Smiqra

Smiqra is a pseudonym for Ὁπλίτης, a.k.a Hoplites, an avant-garde metal artist who I discovered through their 2024 LP Παραμαινομένη (Paramainomeni). The obscurity and esoteric ethos surrounding Hoplites is what drew them to me initially, and they certainly carry that on with this record. While I prefer their 2024 project, Rgyaġdźé! is still an absolute blast and one of the most refreshing metal records I’ve heard in a while. Straight off the first track, Smiqra bombards the listener with animalistic fury, aggressive vocals and wild instrumentals that incorporate elements of thrash and even avant-garde Jazz, just unbelievably cool – continuing with an onslaught of intense and violent sounds, absolutely flying by until the final, 9-minute track. A very enjoyable listen that I would highly recommend to any fans of extreme or strange music.

I Love My Computer – Ninajirachi

The debut album of young australian EDM artist Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer has certainly made some waves in the electronic music world this year. A refreshing exploration of life in our modern era, consumed by the internet, unpacked through some of the hardest hitting electronic bangers I’ve heard all year outside of Sophie’s Product reissue. It’s just a downright good time and guaranteed to satisfy any EDM fans with Nina’s quirky musical ideas and powerful production. I’m eager to follow the future of Ninajirachi’s career as she further hones her style.

Cancionera – Natalia Lafourcade

My first introduction to the acclaimed Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, and not a disappointing one. A simply gorgeous blend of folk, jazz, and traditional bolero to craft a unique but still very accessible record. Lafourcade’s vocals are gorgeous, the instrumentals are moving, and well… there really isn’t a single element of production here that isn’t top notch. Cancionera is an incredibly solid collection of tracks in an absolutely timeless style. A beautiful record that I think anyone can appreciate.

Nick & Carter:

Geese – Getting Killed / Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal

[Nick] – Geese & frontman Cameron Winter’s work from this past year has created two instant classic records. “Getting Killed” is the most chaotic, gorgeous, and original record that I have heard all year, pushing the band to push rock to it’s sonic limits. Meanwhile, Winter’s late 2024 solo debut is a soul-crushing work of singer-songwriter folk rock. Winter’s voice across both of these projects demands your attention in a way that few singers ever have. Geese & Cameron Winter are the best thing to happen to indie rock this decade.

Wednesday – Bleeds

[Carter] – Karly Hartzman, MJ Lenderman and co. produce their best record to date. Karly’s lyrics paint an almost Gothic picture of the American South in all its glory as the instrumentation explores country, shoegaze, indie rock, ambient, and punk. The best written album in years, and one with very compelling arrangements as well

Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power

[Nick] – Deafheaven have crafted one of the best metal albums of the 21st century in “Lonely People With Power”. Few records from this year have the emotional weight that the lyrics here do, whether they are screamed and sneered in the harshest of tones or sung in a gorgeous calm. Few metal records are as good of a starting point as this record is as Deafheaven have made their masterpiece. Beauty meets ugliness all across this record, creating the most impactful listening experience I have had all year.

Dijon – Baby

[Carter] – This album feels like somebody transmitted Prince’s “Parade” from Mars, and mixed in some Frank Ocean and Bon Iver on the way. Dijon displays some incredible songwriting chops here, marrying a timeless sort of RnB style to a progressive, futuristic soundscape. The sampling, grooves, arrangements, and engineering all serve to better accompany Dijon’s undeniable talent.

Tropical Fuck Storm – Fairyland Codex

[Nick] – Australia’s TFS latest record is a despondent work of Art Punk with layers of distortion that could submerge a country. The lyrics are grim as ever, things really aren’t going well, but the grooves across this record will help you forget every little thing. Punk is thriving in 2025.

Greg Freeman – Burnover

[Carter] – Greg Freeman’s sophomore release is a confident, twangy, louder version of his excellent last record. He so effortlessly mixes post-rock, country, punk, and indie rock together with these incredible arrangements. This is my favorite instrumentation on an album this year, and I’m excited to see what Freeman can accomplish in the future.

Panda Bear – Sinister Grift

[Nick] – Panda Bear has released the best record that either him or Animal Collective have produced since their classic “Merriweather Post Pavillion”. Echoing the beachy sounds of the Beach Boys, “Sinister Grift” is the happiest I have felt listening to an album all year. This album makes me want to lay out on the beach in a tropical shirt for hours on end.

Essex Honey – Blood Orange

[Carter] – Devonte Hynes throws out the electric soundscapes of his last few years, and leans heavy into the acoustics on this incredible record. His most emotional, the album showcases Hyne’s lyricism in a way we haven’t seen before. Essex Honey is Hynes operating at his absolute highest, and it is a marvel to witness.

Magic, Alive! – McKinley Dixon

[Nick] – “Magic, Alive” is without question the best produced rap album of the year. Dixon glides over these jazzy beats that feel triumphantly grand, paired with his personal lyrics all across the record. One of the most underrated rappers active right now, Dixon has released possibly the best rap album of the entire year.

Forever Howlong – Black Country, New Road

[Carter] – This, along with Burnover, is one of those “rob the music store” albums. You will hear a sitar next to a harpsichord, next to a recorder on this album, which isn’t normal unless you’re Sufjan Stevens. These British theater kids can really play, and the incredible lead vocals of Georgia Ellery, Tyler Hyde, and May Kershaw add so much to the baroque masterclass that is the record.

Top Songs of 2025

Raya:

Nettles – Ethel Cain

Father Figure – Taylor Swift

Bovine Excision – Samia

The Subway -Chappell Roan

ExtraL – JENNIE (feat. Doechii)

Alister:

Get Higher – Sophie

Fuck My Computer – Ninajirachi

Beauty of Death – Ends In Tragedy

Mock Silver – Old Saw

In Spite of Artillery – at first, at first

Nick:

Deafheaven – Heathen

Tame Impala – Dracula

Geese – Cobra

Cameron Winter – Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)

Tropical Fuck Storm – Teeth Marché

Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party

Tyler, The Creator – Sugar on My Tongue

Clipse – Chains & Whips (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Bad Bunny – DtMF

Panda Bear – Praise

Carter:

Yamaha – Dijon

Blood On The Dollar – Water From Your Eyes

Gallic Shrug – Greg Freeman

Call On Me – Daniel Caesar

Elderberry Wine – Wednesday

A Couple Minutes – Olivia Dean

How Could I Have Known – Big Thief

The Field – Blood Orange

Enough – Jeff Tweedy

“What Are You Thinking About” – Leith Ross