The best new music of 2025 thread

[badger1]

Missed the Joshua Redman album. Will listen thanks.

[David]

Firstly my honourable mentions (in no particular order) before I get to my top 3

Mavis Staples: Sad and beautiful world

Midlake: A bridge too far

Natalie Bergman: My home is not in this world

Folk Bitch Trio: Now would be a good time

Ryan Davis: New threats from the soul

Jeff Tweedy: Twilight Override

The Delines: Mr Luck & Ms Doom

Charles Lloyd: Figure in blue

Alfa Mist: Routlette

3rd Mind: Right Now

Jesse Sykes: Forever, I’m been being born

Hannah Cohen: Earthstar mountain

Geese: Getting Killed

Jake x Fussell & James Elkington: Rebuliding

Cymande: Renascence

Paul Weller: Finding El Dorado

Matt Beringer: Get Sunk

Top 3

3. Autumn Defense: Here and nowhere

4. Alan Sparkhawk: Alan Sparkhawk

5. Sabine McCalla: Don’t call me baby (Info below from bandcamp)

Sabine McCalla creates her own version of multi-cultural American roots music with Don’t Call Me Baby. Produced by Sam Doores of the Deslondes, it’s a debut album that crosses borderlines, pulling everything from Brazilian samba to southern soul to British rock & roll into its orbit. Sabine filters those influences through the lens of her Haitian heritage and her music community of New Orleans, with more than a dozen local musicians contributing to the album’s diverse sound. From the Caribbean grooves of “Anything Without You” to the raw rock & roll of “Louisiana Hound Dog,” Don’t Call Me Baby celebrates not only a longtime artist whose first EP earned her a slot at the Newport Folk Festival, but an entire musical community, as well. Already a celebrated figure in New Orleans’ Americana scene, Sabine McCalla reaches beyond with Don’t Call Me Baby, building a bridge between the world-spanning sounds that have captured her attention.

[mikehughescq]

@David

Mavis Staples: Sad and beautiful world

Another fave for me this year.

[mikehughescq]

“Rachel Chimouriri - Little Houses. This years latecomer for me. She has to be the most under-rated artist in the UK.”

I’m you going to withdraw the above as one of my “also enjoyed” list so that I stick to the idea of just ten. I enjoyed the above but on reflection it’s nowhere near as good as her debut album. This on the other hand is haunting me.

[thebadyogi]

Ladytron appears to have been released in 2022

[AndyP]

@thebadyogi

Ladytron appears to have been released in 2022

or 2002 even.

[BlueCanary]

My fourpeneth in order - all jazz pop pickers

Theon Cross - Affirmations

Marshall Allen - Ghost Horizons Live in Philly

Yazz Ahmed - A Paradise In The Hold

Mary Halvorsen - About Ghosts

Plus one late arrival at the Best of Ball - Brittany Davis Black Thunder. Don’t normally go for singers but this wholly improvised set really has something.

[Nigel1957]

We agree on Halvorsen, and Yass Ahmed, has popped up several times in this thread, including my selection.

The Theon Cross album is a good one too. Must take a listen to Marshall Allen.

[mikehughescq]

Damn. I have her first two albums. They are okay. There is “something” there. I wasn’t sure it would come to fruition. This is far more straightforwardly melodic and takes a left turn into politics and… well I feel compelled to add it here as it came out at the start of November, I missed it completely. Friend just tipped me off to it and… I think it’s the best thing she’s done.

[thebadyogi]

The Last Dinner Party - From The Pyre

Barry Can’t Swim - Loner

Of Monsters And Men - All Is Love And Pain In The Mouse Parade

Whisky Myers - Whomp Whack Thunder

Mentions for:
Baxter Dury - Allbarone
Max Richter - Sleep Circle

And one from Nov 24 which I didn’t discover until this year but is superb:
Father John Misty - Mahashmashana

[KJH]

Here we go with my favourites from 2025, in reverse order.

3. Julien Baker and Torres - Send A Prayer My Way

   
   2. Ken Pomeroy - Cruel Joke
   
   1. Pippa Blundell - Common Thread
   

I find this a beautiful album, lovely voice with some delicate story telling sounding very intimate with the close up microphone work. For me just stunning.

[mikehughescq]

A second vote for Ken. I am thrilled.

I like Torres but couldn’t get on with that album because the production underpowered songs which were full of life and made far more sense live.

I have added the Pippa out of interest given that your other two suggests done overlap in our tastes.

[KJH]

Yes a beautiful piece of work, just pipped to my No 1 spot by Pippa

[Sixtysomething]

[Nigel1957]

To my previous post, I must add a late entry. Probably in my top 3 this year.

Touch by Tortoise. It is a wonderful cinematic album, with some hard riffing.

[KJH]

Hope you enjoy Common Thread, I’d be interested to know what you think.

[Anonymoot]

Yes 2002 original, 2025 re-release with different cover.

[Anonymoot]

A shame you don’t like Lord Huron … this years is not their best.

The 14 minutes of Time’s Blur from 2021 is just stunning.

[BruceW]

Thread update., No clear top 3 or indeed front runner emerging so keep them coming. Some years have been far more predictable I think.

Personally I’ve picked up the Jakes Xerxes Fussell soundtrack ‘Rebuilding’, Ken Pomeroy and Chris Eckman albums that I had not heard first time around. I’m battling with Alan Sparhawk. Not convinced yet.

Bruce

[Maury_Finkle]

@BruceW

Matt Berninger ‘Get Sunk’ which I reckon is better than the last few The National albums and also his first solo one.

I will second this. If you like early The National, it’s a good one.