It’s somehow that time again — to wax lyrical about my favourite records that came out of 2025. I feel as though I’ve been less attentive this year to full albums; I’ve listened to a lot in parts while trip-planning has overtaken just about everything in my life. But that said, these envelope-pushing beauties have stood out to my ears for multiple reasons — and have lured me back in, again and again…

1. private music — Deftones 

The haters will say Deftones’ revival was futile and ‘private music’ is a regurgitation of their original hits. But I say to that, rubbish. That’s simply not the case. And isn’t it natural and obvious that a band’s signature sound should carry through in their work? I may never dislodge ‘milk of the madonna’ or ‘ecdysis’ from my head, and that’s quite alright — 11/10 bangers are welcome to stay as long as they desire. Just divine. I’ll also never forget how sick Deftones were at The Piece Hall in Halifax in June — a real reviewing highlight on my CV! 

2. 21st Century Fiction — The Amazons

Shutting up about The Amazons isn’t something I’ll ever do. Despite parting ways with their drummer at the back end of 2022, when I thought they couldn’t get better, they’ve taken themselves in hand, harnessed their revered rock style and made it flower into something more impressive than ever before. This time, they’ve bequeathed us brass, different strings, and here-to-stay, ethereal female vocals from Ella McRobb. ‘Living A Lie’ was the first glimpse into their more powerful blend, while ‘Night After Night’ was a bit more akin to their previous material. They’ve stitched intermissions into this record, plus fitted in one hell of a ripper, the chugging, thunderous ‘Joe Bought A Gun’. Wow. 

3. SABLE, fABLE — Bon Iver

Justin Vernon never misses. Since a teenager, I’ve been gripped by his ability to seamlessly weave together wistful vocal harmonies with unique indie-folk sensibilities. And over a period, what he’s done with his band is cultivate a more electronic, boundary-pushing niche — sometimes with the help of big-name artist collabs, too. Danielle Haim is one of those on this salmon-hued entry to Bon Iver’s album arsenal. I get a lump in my throat when I hear most of their songs, and ‘SPEYSIDE’ evidenced that once more. Such a gorgeous new addition all round. 

4. Wolforna (Live) — Wolforna 

I tend to give Wolforna a lot of press here on Record Weekly. Sorry, not sorry. Their cultivated style has been getting heavier and richer as the years have passed, and this live album is testament to their journey from classic rock to metal-tinged hard rock. And you can determine just how hard these lads work by how ear-rupturing their massive, chugging sound is throughout this offering. It should do all the talking needed to get you to their next show, too!

5. NEVER ENOUGH — Turnstile

I didn’t think ‘HOLIDAY’ could be beaten, but Turnstile’s rainbow-covered 14-tracker really gave that idea a run for its money. ‘I CARE’, ‘SEEIN’ STARS’ and the title song, ‘NEVER ENOUGH’, have been faithful favourites since the album landed, but ‘DULL’ actually rose as my top choice. It’s got all the floaty, angelic tones we’re used to from Turnstile, with wallop-you-around-the-face hardcore riffs, too. Tell me what could be cooler? I’ll wait… 

6. I’ve Felt Better — Dinosaur Pile-Up

After battling some serious health issues, Matt and his merry band of dinosaurs made 2025 the year they finally dropped a new album, and hit the road again. I had the pleasure of witnessing them play a couple of gigs in 2022 and those occasions have really stuck with me, so I was elated to catch the lads on the Manchester night of their UK tour. I had ‘Sick Of Being Down’, ‘’Bout To Lose It’ and ‘Quasimodo Melonheart’ on rotation around the record’s release, but roaring out the ‘Big Dogs’ vocals with the rest of the crowd at that show won that tune a place in my head for ages.

7. Futique — Biffy Clyro

Another year unsuccessful at getting tickets for a Biffy gig, indeed. But thankfully, ‘Futique’ and its army of mega-tunes (I’m looking at you, ‘Hunting Season’, ‘True Believer’ and ‘Dearest Amygdala’) soothed my pain expertly. I’m sure I’ll see Simon and the lads one day. It’s been a romping, emotive, heavy success for them once again on this record, though — just yet more sensational anthems in favour of them being one of the greatest, and most celebrated, modern rock acts of our generation. 

8. Caramel — Coach Party

There ain’t no party like a Coach Party… am I right? The Isle of Wight four-piece turned my ear a good while back now, when they triumphantly supported The Mysterines at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. They were riff-wielding, female-fronted balls of energy, with punchy stories to tell. And ‘Caramel’ is a playful yet really well-rounded, deftly executed string to their lengthening bow. The artwork’s a bit graphic (not in a bad way), and ‘Control’, ‘Girls!’ and ‘Do Yourself A Favour’ are bops and then some. 

9. Carpe Diem, Moonman — Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

I could’ve selected ‘Pogo Rodeo’ here, as I really rated ‘Manny’s Ready To Roll’, but ‘Carpe Diem, Moonman’ just offered such an injection of supercharged scuzz-rock to my playlists when it came out. And it was road-trip fodder for the car when my other half and I went to Wales for a long, almost-off-grid weekend back in May. I thought ‘Another Reincarnation’ was the ultimate — despite being the opener — but ‘March on for Pax Ramona’ quickly became my headbanger supreme. 

10. Horizons/West — Thrice

I can’t say I’d listened to much Thrice for a while before ‘Horizons/West’ dropped (I was a ‘Stare At The Sun’ girly in my emo days). And I was actually quite late to the party. En route to a Wolforna gig in Sowerby Bridge, I remember sticking my earphones in on the train and finally giving Thrice’s latest a whirl. I was glue to my seat. ‘Gnash’ is a raw, razor-sharp beast that refuelled my enthusiasm for angsty alt rock during a period where I’d been too absorbed in trip misc for anything other than the comfort of tunes I knew. But this and ‘Albatross’ really shone. 

11. West End Girl — Lily Allen

Why wouldn’t you out your ex-partner’s deceit and gut-wrenching betrayal by way of music if you were Lily Allen? What more appropriate way to communicate not only her upsetting experiences, but her phoenix-rising era? The singer’s exploded back onto the scene, exposing the truths of the demise of her marriage to the Stranger Things actor, David Harbour. And while I’m a huge fan of the show and his character, Hopper, I’m also in awe of Lily Allen’s lyricism on the new album’s tunes. ‘Tennis’ in particular.

12. Boys These Days — Sports Team

Sports Team are festival circuit stalwarts for me; I always enjoy the buoyant energy of Alex Rice and co. Their crowd-pleasing numbers are worthy of a real pounding of the lungs, and they never fail to get people on their feet. This year, they once again prevailed at Live at Leeds, following the drop (pardon the pun) of the uber-fun, ever-on-point ‘Boys These Days’. I’m at risk of getting ‘Sensible’ stuck on repeat again while writing this… 

13. Swim School — swim school

I’ve been a member of the swim team — if that’s what they’d call their club of fans — since 2020, and it was the likes of ‘anyway’ and ‘see red’ that made me sign up. Interestingly, these and their previous scorchers (‘let me inside your head’, ‘delirious’, ‘kill you’ and so on) feature on disc two of the deluxe edition, but the debut album’s otherwise a masterpiece of totally new gems. And I think I’ve found some real treasures in ‘Green Eyes (Want It All)’ and ‘On & On’, so if you’re a keen front-crawler, you will as well. 

14. Night Life — The Horrors

It still hasn’t entirely sunk in that I got a press pass last year to review The Horrors. They rocked a heaving Belgrave Music Hall, with all the enigmatic effervescence Faris Badwan has been known to possess. But now, with keys tinkled full-time by former The Ninth Wave member, Amelia Kidd, the band’s firing on even more cylinders. ‘Night Life’ was a fresh turn of the page for them, taking avant-garde indie treatments and raising them into something eerier and synthier. 

15. If That Makes Sense — Spacey Jane

Another Aussie export on this list (alongside Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, of course) is Spacey Jane, a band I actually hadn’t come across until the turn of 2025. I was sent ‘All the Noise’ and ‘Whateverrrr’ by their press agency, and I couldn’t deny the absolute fabulousness of their indie-rock vibe. But the tenderness of dreamy ‘Through My Teeth’ honed their edge for me even further. If you’re not clued up on this outfit, I’d change that ASAP.

16. Satisfied Soul — Brother Ali 

The thrill of the rap genre probably peaked for me around the age of 18/19. Now, almost 32, rock and its sub-genres tend to tip the scales the majority of the time. That said, when hip-hop heavyweights pull up with new tuneage, I’ll never ignore it. So it was a real blessing to get to hear Brother Ali’s thought-provoking, beat-laden ‘Satisfied Soul’ via a press agency before its release this year. It might be the more obvious choice, but ‘D.R.U.M.’ (with Ant) is mega.

17. Cookin’ Up A Groove — Flat Moon

Psychedelica, latin, prog rock and even hip-hop have been tumbled into their distillation of jazz, and it’s a resounding “yes!” to the Leeds-based group’s 13-tune album. While each of the pieces navigates subject matter — from social anxiety to overstimulation — their merging together of sax, strings and all other instruments in their ensemble is where it all glistens with triumph. Truly a joy to listen to, so I hope they stay put in the kitchen… 

18. SCRAP — cleopatrick

Another of the newest drops in this round-up, cleopatrick’s blisteringly scuzzy alt-rock sound is pure fire, whatever they release. So I couldn’t help but find this latest collection an easy-listening win. It’s fuzzy alt rock for skateboarders and moshers, and so it deserves a spot in this year’s round-up. ‘BURNER PHONE’ is my go-to, if you want a solid starting point (though obviously spin the whole thing). 

19. Everybody Scream — Florence + The Machine 

Oh, Florence, how accomplished and celestial you are. Vocally, this most recent album is where pitches seem to have been pushed further, and new ranges have been reached. Instrumentally, it feels more acoustic and folk-driven than some of the act’s former, chart-entering anthems. So less pop, more niche, perhaps. But still very worthy of a spot on this prose podium. 

20. Essex Honey — Blood Orange

Enlisting help from giants such as Lorde, Caroline Polachek and many more, Blood Orange went and did it again: achieved greatness. The album’s largely about grief and sorrow, yet the complex arrangements of guitars, drum beats and piano keys still somehow ignite some catchiness? And the vibes are low-key and laidback, which means it sits nicely in ears whether played loudly or softly in the background. You even get token string and harmonica bursts, in a sea of songs unexpectedly put together in Essex. 

That’s a wrap. I wonder what the top of albums of 2026 will be? See you next year…