As we head towards the end of the year, list week returns! A time where publications get together to flex how good their music tastes are, and make amends to glaring omissions that might’ve haunted them over the last twelve months. As a music blog obsessed with oranges, we’ve missed out on covering a lot of 2025’s most significant releases, so are grateful to have the opportunity to rectify that.
Today we’re kicking things off with our Favourite Albums Of 2025! 20 albums that’ve had heavy rotation in our ears throughout each of the seasons. We could’ve gone for 50, 75, or even 100 albums, but 170 hours went towards playing Death Stranding 2, so we didn’t get to listen to that much music.
Below is our list in alphabetical order, with links to full reviews of certain albums. We hope you enjoy, and feel inspired to check out some of the records named. It’s been a great year for music (as always), and tomorrow we’ll be releasing our Favourite EPs of 2025, so keep your eyes (and ears!) peeled for that.
DEAD GOOD MUSIC // FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2025
BALU BRIGADA – PORTAL
Balu Brigada’s debut album was a real surprise. With a sound that contained all of the vibes and hooks that made it effortlessly catchy, and a coolness that could’ve easily placed it in amongst the very best records from the golden age of Indie.
THE BETHS – STRAIGHT LINE WAS A LIE
The Beths are so underrated, and their latest album provides another example as to why that’s such a crime. A lot of sincerity and contentedness exists in this record, and they’re all performed via more scuzzy, undeterred tunes. For the love of god, listen to The Beths.
BIFFY CLYRO – FUTIQUE
To be this far into a career and still release records as good as this is something that should be applauded. Biffy Clyro prove that longevity doesn’t come with diminishing returns. Futique is a real return to form, and offers nothing but bangers. While it’s not going to shift their discography on its head, it does complement with another set of tunes that bring the riffs, the grooves and the feels. ‘Mon the Biff!
DEFTONES – PRIVATE MUSIC
I hadn’t paid much attention to Deftones growing up. Just like with Biffy Clyro, this is another sin I’m ashamed to have made. Their discography was something I never dived into, until private music came along. With all its guns blazing, this is a record that absolutely demands to be played loud, and it succeeds at sounding even better at the highest volume.
GEESE – GETTING KILLED
One of a handful of albums that’ll appear on every album of the year list is Geese’s latest. If you don’t mind me saying, I didn’t really “get” Geese – I couldn’t find a spot on the Geese train. But, the internet seemed to like it a lot, so I gave it another go.
Those moments of uncertainty brought clarity within these new listens. As things began to feel familiar, everything started to click. Cameron Winter’s vocals are still strange, but not so much and the songs are beginning to reveal more about themselves.
Suddenly, the Geese train arrived like The Polar Express on Christmas Eve, and whisked me away to the North Pole to say “Why don’t you like Geese yet? You mug”. Fair play, I am a mug, and this is great.
HAYLEY WILLIAMS – EGO DEATH AT A BACHELORETTE PARTY
For me, there is absolutely no competition for Album of the Year in 2025. While there was an endless sleuth of good releases, Hayley Williams’ third solo album is in a league of its own. The rollout for this record was unique in itself. Williams originally uploaded 17 tracks onto her website for fans with a special code to discover, before later adding them to streaming platforms. She then tasked fans with creating their own track list, sharing them on social media, so Williams could collate all their ideas into one final track list. It was a masterclass in marketing and a super unique way to engage with her fans.
The full record spans 20 songs, telling everything from feeling lonely and out of place to a critique on the problematic tendencies present in Nashville, the city she loves and resides in. It is Williams at her best, showcasing the songwriting abilities of a seasoned professional. She knows what she wants to say, and exactly how she is going to say it- whether people like it or not. Sonically, it ranges from Cranberries-esque soft-rock tracks like ‘Blood Bros’ to heavier, punk influenced ones like ‘Mirtazapine’. As well as all this, it is a Hayley Williams record, which means her vocals are, as always, incredible.
This was an album none of us expected this year, but one that is going to stick around and become a true classic.
(Words by Lauren P)
HEAVY LUNGS – CAVIAR
Heavy Lungs’ second album feels like when you join something late. You think you’d could catch up, but it remains far and away from you. With 11 songs passing by in under 30 minutes, you are left chasing its tail, but what a chase it is.
HOME COUNTIES – HUMDRUM
One of my most anticipated albums of the year. Home Counties’ debut album, Exactly As It Seems, remains one of my favourites, and its follow up offers more of the same off-kilter, wonky goodness. The band looked a little more inward this time around. Bringing an introspective side to their songwriting which made it easier to connect to. Instrumentally, it’s all over the place with elements taken from all manner of genres, and somehow comes together to create a record that hits as hard as it grooves.
Check out our interview with Home Counties.
LAMBRINI GIRLS – WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
Honestly, if I had to choose a particular album for album of the year, it would be this one. When I think back to music released in 2025, this is the first one that comes to mind. Lambrini Girls’ debut effort offers more of what they’ve been driving for years now – abrasive, passionate middle fingers towards societal norms, toxic masculinity and the general unbalance of the world.
Who Let The Dogs Out became one of the first AOTY contenders and remained that way. Its themes are just as, if not more, relevant than they were at the start of the year. Phoebe Lunny’s vocals remain one of the best performances in ages. As an added bonus, hearing my neighbour come out into their garden while “Cuntology 101” blares out of my speakers made this album even more enjoyable. Sorry Babs.
Check out the full review of Who Let The Dogs Out.
LOADED HONEY – LOVE MADE TREES
The world’s a better place when members of Jungle make music, and the latest project is no exception. Loaded Honey sees Jake Lloyd and Lydia Kitto come together to create something that feels straight out of the 50s. Lydia’s addition to Jungle revitalised their sound, and is the anchor for this introductory record too. “Don’t Speak” is an immediate hit while the other tracks take their time to get to know you. Once you’re familiar with them, you’ll find it hard to resist revisiting them.
LOW GIRL – IS IT TOO LATE TO FREAK OUT?
A nice reason to get into music is that sometimes you’ll find albums that connect with you. As if they were written for you in your current phase of life.
This is what I had with Low Girl’s debut album. Is It Too Late To Freak Out? captures the awkward transition that envelops entering your thirties, and details all of the emotions and the reset that comes with tipping into a new decade. As much as it’s steeped in sadness, and honestly details mistakes and regrets, it also has an underlying sense of moving through it anyway, despite all that.
It is hugely relatable, and features some of the catchiest, ear-wormiest tunes around. “Overgrown” will appear in our Favourite Singles of 2025 list (spoiler alert), but we also have to throw some praise towards “White Gown” too. It’s so good.
Check out our full review of Is It Too Late To Freak Out?
OH MY SUN – APOCALYPSE BABY
The debut album from the project of Carmody and Tal Jones continues to be a go-to for when things need a little clarity. A colourful take on modern life, the album sees the duo ponder whether the word apocalypse could be utilised in smaller-scale things than just worldwide disasters. It does come with a sense of dread, but Oh My Sun tackle it head on with a playful sound, and a determination to reconnect to a more organic life that wraps you up in its warmth.
Check out the full review of Apocalypse Baby.
OLIVIA DEAN – THE ART OF LOVING
A name I wasn’t expecting to rave about so much is Olivia Dean, but her newest album is a wonderful antidote to a lot of the things the other albums in this list do to me. The Art of Loving is simple in its themes, but executes them through a jazzy, poppy filter that makes them sound so good. Its clear why exactly it and Olivia have exploded on the scene lately.
SOOT SPRITE – WIELD YOUR HOPE LIKE A WEAPON
Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon is a superb listen. Often filled with moments of pure, noisy doubling down that sounds massive, even on the lowest volume. Instrumentally, I don’t understand how it can sound so crushing at times, yet the band manage to pick it back up again with bright melodies or harmonies that seemingly shake you out of a funk.
SWIM SCHOOL – SWIM SCHOOL
Years have passed where swim school have released strong EP after EP, that you knew they’d nail the album world when the time came. Finally, we are in that present, and their debut, self-titled album offers everything to make you go “I told ya so!” Their sound translates so well into the longer-form, and actually benefits from the extra time. Giving what is already an encompassing sound the space to explore even further.
Check out the full review of Swim School.
TURNSTILE – NEVER ENOUGH
Not many artists have rocket strapped themselves quite like Turnstile. After the shattering success of GLOW ON, the former Hardcore band stayed within its universe to deliver NEVER ENOUGH. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does bulk out its shimmering world with a selection of tracks that aim for the hips, head and heart. I really like the lean towards Indie-Pop on tracks like “SEEIN’ STARS” and “I CARE” while maintaining a lot of the band’s heavier roots.
VIAGRA BOYS – VIAGR ABOYS
An album I’m surprised to not see on many lists is Viagra Boys’ latest. After three albums of grimy dancefloor fillers, there may’ve been reservations as to where the Shrimptech boys would go next, but they knocked it out of the park with viagr aboys.
From the breathy “okay” that kick off “Man Made Of Meat”, plus the references to gooning, flappy giblets and Chandler Bing’s death, it seemed there was nothing to worry about. What follows is an album that doesn’t care too much, but enough to invite you in to also celebrate how absurd things are.
Aside from the gloriously danceable vibes, there are also moments of vulnerability too. Making it Viagra Boys’ most personable and relatable albums to date.
Check out the full review of viagr aboys.
WEDNESDAY – BLEEDS
Another album that should have a spot on all end of year lists is Bleeds. Wednesday’s fourth album captures the terror and anxiousness that makes up its artwork, and conjures a listening experience that blends the best of country, folk and indie rock to form something that feels right at home in your ears.
WET LEG – MOISTURIZER
There seemed to be a lot of pressure on Wet Leg for the follow-up to their wildly successful debut album. A lot of people might not have expected them to deliver a record as good as moisturizer. While it maintains a lot of the quirks that helped them stand out initially, it also builds a bigger platform for some of their softest, most vulnerable tracks to date too.
Check out the full review of moisturizer.
WOLF ALICE – THE CLEARING
Wolf Alice truly embraced their Fleetwood Mac side on The Clearing. After the storming ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ arrived in style, I think we all expected something more chaotic and heavy because of it, but what we did receive is an album with a more composed, stripped back sound that commands attention. Ascending them into the big time.
Check out the full review of The Clearing.
We hope you enjoyed rooting through our Favourite Albums Of 2025. Let us know what you thought of it, as well as any albums you consider to be your favourites, via a comment below, or on Instagram. Thank you!
Stay tuned for our Favourite EPs and Favourite Singles of 2025 lists.