More favorites from 2025

As I’m working on my final list of favorite albums of the year, I thought I’d put together a quick list of other albums that didn’t make it – ones I still enjoyed very much – to hold you over for a few weeks. 😄

If you are a regular reader of the site, most of these will be familiar. Anyway, here they are, broken down by genre… ten-ish albums in each category.

Folk/Singer Songwriter

• patching by runo plum
• These Days by Emily Hines
• Sleeper’s Ball by Clover
• Small Talk by Whitney
• Jellywish by Florist
• Sounds like… by Florry
• Blue Reminder by Hand Habits
• Animal Poem by Anna Tivel
• I Hope We Can Still Be Friends by Dean Johnson
• Parade by Work Wife
• Fatal Optimist by Madi Diaz

Hardcore/Punk/Metal/Emo

• All That is Over by SPRINTS
• Horizons/West by Thrice
• …IS YOUR FRIEND by DRAIN
• Never Exhale by Ditz
• Downpour by Charmer
• A Life’s Refrain by Speedway
• Want You Need by Runaway Brother
• Who Will Look After the Dogs? by PUP
• Last Leg of the Human Table by Cloakroom
• erer by Glitterer
• Ripped and Torn by Lifeguard

Hip Hop

• From the Private Collection by Saba & No ID
• Black Hole Superette by Aesop Rock
• Lotus by Little Simz
• Forty by Blu & August Fanon
• Live Laugh Love by Earl Sweatshirt
• The RE-UP by Rakim
• Lonely at the Top by Joey Bada$$
• Infinite by Mobb Deep
• Goyard Ibn Said by Ghais Guevara
• Balloonerism by Mac Miller

Alternative/Indie Rock

• Welcome to My Blue Sky by Momma
• Billboard Heart by Deep Sea Diver
• DELUXE EDITION by Nihilistic Easyrider
• I Let the Wind Push Down On Me by Moontype
• Kit-Cat by Casper Skulls
• In Love Again by Ex-Void
• s/t by Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
• Bite Down by Ribbon Skirt
• Tunnel Vision by Beach Bunny
• Raspberry Moon by Hotline TNT
• Altar by NewDad

Pop

• Girl Violence by King Princess
• Describe by Hannah Jadagu
• Cover the Mirrors by Ben Kweller
• I QUIT by HAIM
• Weirdo by Emma-Jean Thackray
• s/t by Long Fling
• Ghostholding by venturing
• Kiss From the Balcony by Madeline Kenney
• Virgin by Lorde
• Anxious by Nell Smith

Jazz/World/R&B/Etc

• Essex Honey by Blood Orange
• after the sun goes down by Khalid
• VI by Budos Band
• Son of Spergy by Daniel Caesar
• Instant Holograms On Metal Film by Stereolab
• CREAM by Kassa Overall
• EUSEXUA by FKA Twigs
• Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd
• Touch by Tortoise