My Favourite Albums of 2025 So Far
2025 has been great for music so far, and after being away for two weeks there honestly wasn’t much in terms of new releases that I thought was worth writing about (aside from Ethel Cain’s outstanding new single "Nettles"). So instead of try to recap the last two weeks I figured I’d recap the year with my favourite albums so far (in no particular order), and resume Lately next week.
Samia - Bloodless
I’ve written plenty about Bloodless in the past few months, right now it’s absolutely my album of they year and you can read my full review here.
Oklou - choke enough
Oklou’s debut album is one I’ve found myself coming back to a ton, I think opening track “endless” might be my most listened to song of the year so far. Her production is so entrancing and it’s an album that just flies by cause you’re having such a great time listening to it. It’s this hazy and flowing yet high-speed project that came out of nowhere for me and I love it.
Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE
Bon Iver is one of my all time favourite artists, so of course I loved his new album, which is undoubtedly the cheeriest work he’s ever put out. I think these songs are a bit more straightforward than his previous work both lyrically and sonically, so tracks like “If Only I Could Wait” really stand out on the album for having that “how on earth did he make this?” quality.
Black Country, New Road - Forever Howlong
BCNR’s first album without Isaac Wood is refreshing and inventive while still being undeniably characteristic of what makes the band great. Whimsical songwriting, clever instrumentation, and really high highs make this album really easy to go back to. I think there’s a little bit too much meandering on some of the tracks, but the big moments on tracks like “For the Cold Country” make it all worth it.
Sam Fender - People Watching
It’d be easy to write off Sam Fender as a Tiktok artist, but this album has some genuinely great heartland tracks. With production effort from The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel, there are some absolute stadium sized choruses across this album, and while it can be a bit inconsistent, the melodies and power are undeniable.
pablopablo - Canciones En Mi
This album feels very contained in a positive way, it’s very cohesive, and it’s likely due to all the songs being written in the key of E Major. It’s actually quite a feat to write an album all in the same key that doesn’t sound repetitive or boring. The guitar work is very thoughtful and some of the vocal melodies remind me of Ryan Beatty’s Calico.
Djo - The Crux
Djo is another artist that is huge on Tiktok and again would be easy to write him off, but you can tell he’s really put the effort into this project. It’s a little heavy on the influences (“Golden Line” is practically the same as “Golden Slumbers” by The Beatles), but his songwriting has really opened up from his past work and you can tell he actually cares about the music vs. being an actor with a side project.
Perfume Genius - Glory
Perfume Genius is such a compelling artist, and this is his first album utilizing an entire backing band vs. piecing together production, and it really adds an interesting layer of depth and liveliness to his music. “Me & Angel” is such a beautiful ballad and for me is at the core of what makes him such a great songwriter.