Definitely not late, it's your albums of 2025

[browellm]

OK, actually late and undoubtedly unlamented, but after the Fabrizio Romano fashion:
HERE WE GO

1. Car Seat Headrest - The Scholars
   

   
   
   Vaguely bonkers sprawling American College Rock/Folk Rock concept album a bit like a transatlantic Mansun Six. Mad but I love it.

2. Florence + The Machine - Everybody Scream
   

   
   
   Mainsteam? Yes. Epic? Yes. As good as their first album? Possibly.

3. Kathleen Edwards - Billionaire
   

   
   
   Impeccable production, chock full of great hooks and some ‘on the nose’ social commentary.

4. The Divine Comedy - Rainy Sunday Afternoon
   

   
   
   There are not many people who could make a 100 minute long, 13th studio album half this good. Full of wit, superb melodies and more reflective than ever.

5. Lord Huron - The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1
   

   
   
   Not much better than this last year for fans of Fleet Foxes/Boy & Bear-type Indie Americana. Widescreen.

6. Patrick Wolf - Crying The Neck
   

   
   
   You all hate him. Impossibly overwrought indulgence for me .

7. Pulp - More
   

   
   
   It’s new, it’s Pulp, it’s good. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

8. Tunng - Love You All Over Again
   

   
   
   Not sure Tunng have ever put out a bad track, never mind album. Quality folktronica

9. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
   

   
   
   New wave, synthy version of SVE in a band!

10. The Delines - Mr Luck & Ms. Doom
    

    
    
    Smoky, sultry Americana

11. Nadia Reid - Enter Now Brightness
    

    
    
    World-weariness in spades from our Nadia.

12. Adrian Younge - Something about April III
    

    
    
    All 3 are essential psychedelic soul

Must add…
13. Charlatans - We Are Love

Just rips along. Surprised there has not been more noise about this album. Or perhaps I missed it.

A few more I need to revisit. May add to later.

[Wayward]

Haha! Excellent. I haven’t tried any of these.

[omsoc]

You should buy the records

[Sheva]

2025

TOPS:

#1. Promenade Cinema – Afterlife
Sheffield duo, elegant noir synthpop with plenty of pomp; reminiscent of Propaganda

#2. Vioflesh – Nostalgia
Chilean, poppy darkwave

#3. Rhys Fulber – Memory Impulse Autonomy
First half is industrial techno EBM; second half is more cerebral and retro-influenced by Cabaret Voltaire, Tangerine Dream etc

#4. Years Of Denial – Love Cuts EP
Industrial electro-darkwave; absolutely rocks

#5. Morwan – Vse Po Kulu, Znovu
Ukrainian, weighty postpunk noiserock, with ethno-folk influences

_____________________________________________

BEST OF THE REST :

Circuit Des Yeux – Halo On The Inside
Cacophony of experimental electronic and industrial pop; haunting operatic female vocals (maybe imagine Grace Jones in her lowest register, fronting some Depeche Mode deep deep cuts)

Rina Pavar – Six
Icy electro-darkwave

Various Artists - 30 Years: Sonic Groove 1995-2025
Dogs bollocks compilation of industrial techno

Youth Code – Yours, With Malice EP
Industrial influenced by punk/hardcore; brutal, visceral, abrasive female vocals

Jason Van Wyk – Inherent
Cinematic ambient/drone

Young Gods – Appear Disappear
Proper heavy; best since L’Eau Rouge?

Snooper – Worldwide
Quirky alt-punk

Shehir – We Are All Strangers
Ambient

Assemblage 23 - Null
Dark electronic dance/synthpop/trance

Health - Conflict DLC
Atmospheric industrial metal

[Wayward]

Buy now, hate later.

[thebiglebowski]

I can’t remember what I listened to last night let alone last year

[crimsondonkey]

Might take a while to remember last year, but first thing that comes to mind as a highlight -

1. Little Simz - Lotus
   Inflo may have gone and not paid paid the money back but LS carried on without and knocked out this wonderfully arranged R&B, rap, jazz, rock surprise.

[MGOwner]

[Kevin]

Not in any order, but I did buy all these on vinyl.

Also a new artist to me this year

The Purple Bird - Bonny Price Billy

Moneyball - Dutch Interior
(Wins prize as new artist to me)

[Spenagio]

One I can think of now…

Brittany Davis - Black Thunder

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

Been a dismal year for me and new music - not because there’s not been plenty of great new music being released, I’ve no doubt there has been, but I missed it all because I’ve been distracted by a new hobby. So this year’s paltry couple of dozen purchases have almost all been me stumbling across pre-existing work.

The sole exception are the reliably excellent Soft Hearted Scientists -

So if bucolic psychedelic whimsy, laced with unobtrusive wit and delivered in a Welsh lilt is your bag - and it should be - then get a listen

[Griffo]

In no particular order but Coroner was my favourite (and most played) after waiting 30 odd years for it’s release.

Sentries - Gem of the West

La Brea - Hesse Kassel

[Stevieg]

4 CDs 41 tracks.

3 CDs 4 tracks.

[spacehopper]

@Stevieg

This is mine as well - a tremendous compilation.

[MJ2]

Probably mine, as well

[Stevieg]

Welch and Rawlings. Analogue AF.

[Waxy]

Filth

Hekla

Lewis Express

Neptunian Maximalism

Ossuary

Stereolab

The Circling Sun

The Utopia Strong

Vatican Shadow

Warrington Runcorn

[Kevin]

2024, or would have been in my list.

[Stevieg]

Aye, but only available to me in 25.

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

I’d forgotten about Hekla! Excellent album