Preamble

Music is a gift and I’m lucky to have found and loved some new albums over the last 12 months. I thought it would be fun to share my favorite albums of the last year and why I loved them. Without further adieu here are my top 5(ish) albums from 2025(ish)…

“Patterns in Repeat” by Laura Marling

As far as I’m concerned, Laura Marling wrote the perfect folk album. I just want to take a moment to focus on her song Patterns. You have the plucked guitar that provides a lovely backbone to her feathery vocals and then a layer of gorgeous strings drenched in reverb. With worse production, these elements would overshadow he melody and songwriting, but as it stands, they fit together perfectly. Combine that with beautiful lyrics about childhood, parenthood (something I admittedly know nothing about), and time itself, and you get a masterpiece. The album feels like a culmination of the genre.

“Who Will Look After The Dogs?” by PUP

I got to leave the house very little this past year due to caregiving responsibilities, but one of the few times I got to see a concert was to see PUP perform with Jeff Rosenstock. I’ve been vaguely aware of PUP for many years, but never spent the time to give them a fair shake. Honesty, I initially went to the concert to see Jeff Rosenstock perform, but ended up being deeply enamored by this album. “Who Will Look After The Dogs?” is just perfect pop punk. Super melodic, kinda simple, and incredibly catchy. The album is polished, but not too over produced and makes me want to get back in the pit.

“Weep for Me” by Radiant Heart

I’ve been accused of being a softboi (TM) too many times and my love for this album does not help me dodge the allegations. It’s gentle, warm, and everything I love about twee. If you aren’t intimidated by something cloyingly tender, I recommend you give it a listen.

“Horrible Occurrences” by Advance Base

Synthesizers are beautiful beasts and Advance Base has tamed them to make gorgeous full bodied sounds that become the bricks to some sturdy songs. The album feels spacious and you’re left to swim in the textures and get lost in the eerie world the singer describes. As far as the lyrics, the album revolves around a “fictional town called Richmond and featur[es] an interlinked cast of characters—you will hear stories of death and disappearance, climactic confrontations and unsolved mysteries.” It’s a perfect album for these cold months.

“Beautiful Extension Cord” by (T-T)b

It’s chiptune slacker rock. It takes what I love about bands like Pavement and adds a gameboy to the mix. If you're like me, that will make you so excited to listen, but if that doesn't peak your interest then move along with your dissapointing life.

Very Honorable Mentions

“Bots” by Pickle Darling

"Ruby" by William H Travs

“PL*NET F*TNESS” by Pacing

“Middle Spoon” by Cheekface

“What of Our Nature” by Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover