I decided to do something new with my blog this year--write it by hand. At some point over the summer, both as a way to hold on to substantive things, and as a way to protest AI, I began writing out personal album "reviews". Once I started, I decided I would write out one page in my journal for any album I thought might make my top 10. Ultimately I wrote out 13 album reviews with simple sketches over the covers and then yesterday cut the pages from the journal and sorted them on a table.
Midway through the year I knew it was an epic one for new music. Upon review,
nine of my previous AOTY winners released new music this year, which is wild:
Thrice #1 of 2007
Wolf Alice #1 of 2015
Waxahatchee #1 of 2017 (this
year as Snocaps)
Neko Case #1 of 2018
Great Grandpa #1 of 2019
Taylor
Swift #1 of 2020, but didn't even make my top 25 this year
The World is a
Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die #1 of 2021
The Beths #1
of 2022
Stay Inside #2024 (LPs in back-to-back years!)
 |
| Shout out to Liz Pelly for the idea to hold up a list against a Christmas Tree. Also shout out to Liz Pelly for writing one of the most important books of the year. |
Top 25 Albums of 2025:
1.The Beths- Straight Line Was a Lie Buy/listen on Bandcamp
2. Great Grandpa- Patience, Moonbeam Buy/listen on Bandcamp
3. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die- Dreams of Being Dust Buy/listen on Bandcamp
4. Of Monsters and Men- All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade Watch "Fruit Bat" (my #1 song of the year)
5. This Beautiful Mess- The Soft Powers Buy/listen on Bandcamp
6. Thrice- Horizons / West Buy/listen on Bandcamp
7. Momma- Welcome to My Blue Sky Buy/listen on Bandcamp
8. Stay Inside- Lunger Buy/listen on Bandcamp
9. Snocaps- Snocaps Buy/listen on Bandcamp
10. Laura Stevenson- Late Great Buy/listen on Bandcamp
11. Wolf Alice- The Clearing Buy/listen on Bandcamp
12. Mogwai- The Bad Fire Buy/listen on Bandcamp
13. Rocket- R is for Rocket Buy/listen on Bandcamp\
14. Cusp- What I Want Doesn't Want Me Back Buy/listen on Bandcamp
15. Hayley Williams- Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party Buy/listen on her website
16. Charlie Houston- Big After I Die Buy/listen on Bandcamp
17. Sleigh Bells- Bunky Becky Birthday Boy Buy/listen on Bandcamp
18. Lucy Dacus- Forever Is A Feeling Buy/listen on Bandcamp
19. Beach Bunny- Tunnel Vision Buy/listen on Bandcamp
20. Neko Case- Neon Grey Midnight Green Buy/listen on Bandcamp
21. Samia- Bloodless Buy/listen on Bandcamp
22. Slow Mass- Low on Foot Buy/listen on Bandcamp
23. I'm With Her- Wild and Clear and Blue Buy/listen on Bandcamp
24. My Morning Jacket- is Buy/listen on Bandcamp
25. Pretty Bitter- Pleaser Buy/listen on Bandcamp
Top 5 EPs of 2025:
1. Fake Pollocks- Livestock Buy/listen on Bandcamp
2. Riot Course- Before You Can Say Knife Buy/listen on Bandcamp
3. Parts Work- Parts Work (feat. Frances Quinlan) Listen on YouTube
4. Water From Your Eyes- It's a Beautiful Place Buy/listen on Bandcamp
5. Blue Deputy- Reeling Buy/listen on Bandcamp
