There are plenty of new albums coming out this year, but there are eight in particular to be more excited for than most.
From rock music legend Bruce Springsteen clearing out his archive of unreleased songs to form seven new albums to Pulp breaking their 24-year recording hiatus with an eighth studio album, there is plenty to look forward to.
We are already spoilt for choice when it comes to contemporary material this year, with Rialto, Blondshell, and Sam Fender already releasing some all-time greats for the year.
But there is still much to look forward to, and these eight yet-to-be-released albums promise to be some of the biggest moments of this year.
Seven of them will certainly offer moments to celebrate, while an eighth announced album is yet to be titled, and may not be fully set for release in 2025.
LCD Soundsystem – Untitled
While Primavera Festival may have suggested LCD Soundsystem would be performing new album material at their Barcelona show this summer, the band were quick to extinguish the claim.
What frontman James Murphy did confirm, however, was new music is on the way. When has not yet been revealed, though the band’s single ‘X-Ray Eyes’ has since dropped, developing a new direction for the group.
Flutes, monotone pangs and the electric rush which has always defined the alternate New York rockers is a reason to be excited, but who knows when this one will drop. 2025? We can only hope.
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Three years on from performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival and Wolf Alice are ready for a return. Their lead single for upcoming album The Clearing, which releases August 29, suggested major changes lay ahead.
The band has frequently offered thrilling rock music with hearty lyrics and menacing instrumentals. Bloom Baby Bloom, the band’s first release since 2023, is no change to their fundamental values, but does provide a straight shot of rock and roll.
Vocalist Ellie Rowsell suggested she wants to perform like Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses fame. She has exceeded that quality already with the latest single, and The Clearing should surely exceed expectations.
Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II: The Lost Albums
The Boss has offered more great albums than most artists, from the thrills of early works like Darkness on the Edge of Town to lesser-known but ultimately brilliant albums like The Rising and The Ghost of Tom Joad.
Springsteen’s frequent recording studio sessions have inevitably led to an archival backlog, which he appears to have picked clean for this upcoming release.
Tracks II: The Lost Albums, comprises seven full albums from the decades-long career of The Boss, and while it may sound like an offering for the hardcore fans, the singles so far provide plenty of opportunity even for passing listeners.
Baxter Dury – Allbarone
Those with the right connections will have already heard the incredible thrills contained in Allbarone, though the general public will need to wait until September 12 to hear it.
Baxter Dury has offered listeners insightful and often menacing-sounding pieces of work, with his last two album releases, The Night Chancers and I Thought I Was Better Than You, an exceptional read on self-preservation in the modern day.
His latest album sounds infectious, techno thrills a-plenty and the suggestion of defying the odds, which is what every great artist should aim to do as they career towards their ninth studio album.
Pulp – More
Another from the legendary Rough Trade label and a hotly-anticipated release which has been over a year in the making. Legendary band Pulp, who headlined Glastonbury Festival in 1995 at the peak of their powers, are set to return.
The band will release More on June 6, with lead single Spike Island proving to be one of the band’s most popular songs, already reaching nearly 2million streams on Spotify.
More will be the first release from the group since 2001’s We Love Life, and it seems songs from their past are making their way onto the tracklist. Got to Have Love was a demo from those turn-of-the-century sessions, while Slow Jam is an unreleased piece Jarvis Cocker wrote for his other band, Jarv Is…
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts – Talkin’ to the Trees
With a headline slot at Glastonbury Festival coming up, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will release their album, Talkin’ to the Trees, on June 13.
It gives Worthy Farm revellers two weeks to brush up on the Rockin’ in the Free World and Harvest hitmaker’s new material, which, if lead single ‘Big Change’ is anything to go by, will be more of the rocking thrills found in Young’s discography.
Talkin’ to the Trees will mark a busy year for Young, with his new album the third release from the artist this year. Archival album Oceanside Countryside, and soundtrack album Coastal, released earlier this year.
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Just months after the release of their astonishing, menacing piece, Perverts, Ethel Cain is gearing up to release Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You.
Cain’s previous release was a subversion of expectations which both alienated returning fans and won over new listeners with the moody, intense work one of the best releases of the year so far.
Whether Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You follows the same route or returns Cain to those lighter tones heard on their debut album is yet to be heard, though it remains exciting all the same.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island
Consistently innovative rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are set to provide a follow-up to their glam rock Flight B741 later this year, with Phantom Island hearing similar themes but a new sound.
A titular lead single and storytelling spot on follow-up ‘Deadstick’ has set the scene well for the group, whose ever-changing style has become one of their defining features.
King Gizzard has rarely struggled to find a flair and intensity to their releases, and the songs so far are no exception to their talent. Phantom Island is one to get excited for, the band has been so consistent in the last few years, it is hard to see them putting a foot wrong.