I've listened to 100 albums released in 2025 – here's the ten worth hearing

Listeners are spoilt for choice when it comes to new releases this year. 

With returning legends like The Hives, Pulp, and Rialto and up-and-comers like Lambrini Girls, Brown Horse, and Bdrmm all releasing new material this year, it may feel a bit overwhelming. 

Choosing where to start with this year’s releases is no small feat, and figuring out which will offer the best listening experiences is harder still. 

Turn then to this list of ten albums from the year so far, which you can listen to right now, which are coming to define an excellent year for music.

There is more to look forward to further in the year with Baxter Dury and Sophie Ellis-Bextor releasing new material, but why not take a listen to these 10 albums while you wait for other new material?

Sam Fender – People Watching

North Shields rocker Sam Fender is three for three in essential albums after the release of his latest record, People Watching. The songwriter is set to headline Newcastle United’s St. James’ Park for three sold-out shows in summer. 

The sell-out tour comes off the back of People Watching, an album which heard Fender trade in those rock and roll fundamentals for some beautiful brass accompaniments. 

People Watching, which released on February 21, is Fender at his most vulnerable as a songwriter. Astonishing efforts like the emotionally charged ‘Remember My Name’ or the heartland rock thrills of ‘Crumbling Empire’ make People Watching, like preceding album Seventeen Going Under, a must-listen.

Blondshell – If You Asked for a Picture

Those who heard Blondshell’s self-titled debut will likely have found the gutting openness and instrumental thrills to be an ideal pairing. The same can be heard on her exceptional follow-up album, If You Asked for a Picture. 

Sabrina Teitelbaum, the songwriter and performer behind Blondshell, pulls no punches on this release. Blistering pieces of work like ‘What’s Fair’ and ‘Event of a Fire’ hit out at the world around Teitelbaum, but also around us. 

There are sparks of incredible songwriting and also instrumental brilliance. With a UK tour planned later this year, now is the perfect time to give If You Asked for a Picture a listen.

Rialto – Neon and Ghost Signs

Inspired by a near-death experience, Louis Eliot pulls Rialto back together for the first time since 2002. Their return to the stage makes good on the promise the band once had, when they were called the “future Oasis” by Melody Maker.

But dropped by their label around the same time, the fame which came with such a strong debut album was not to be. It has galvanised Eliot and the band, though, and by the sound of Neon and Ghost Signs, it is a better alternate to the success which could have defined them. 

Between the thrills of the title track and the London-based spills of lead single ‘No One Leaves This Discotheque Alive’, there is plenty to love about Rialto’s return. 

Caroline – Caroline 2

Eight new songs from the Windmill Scene’s Caroline, the London-based outfit are continually keen to explore what their instrumental work is capable of. 

With Caroline 2, an apt title for their second album, comes collaborations with Caroline Polachek and musings on emotionally thrilled moments in life. The album, which releases on May 30, is a must-listen for those wanting a softer, instrumentally impressive experience. 

Songs like ‘Coldplay cover’ offers no note of Chris Martin celebration but adds a fiery piece of work to the band’s impressive discography.

Neil Young – Coastal

Ahead of his Talkin’ to the Trees release and Glastonbury Festival headline slot, fans of the legendary rocker Neil Young can give soundtrack album, Coastal, a listen. 

The release of the soundtrack album comes alongside a documentary of the same name, directed by Daryl Hannah. In it is a behind-the-scenes look at touring and its toll on the veteran musician. 

But also in there, especially the soundtrack, are electrifying performances of songs Young had not played in years. ‘Vampire Blues’, ‘I’m the Ocean’, and ‘Comes a Time’ are nothing short of mesmerising.

Benefits – Constant Noise

Middlesbrough-based indie-duo Benefits captured the spirit of the times with their first release, Nails. They adapt to the times once more with an instrumental overhaul, keeping firm to their beliefs as they do so. 

Those major changes to their sound makes Constant Noise a readily accessible and also fiery take on the world according to Benefits. Tracks like ‘The Victory Lap’ and ‘Missiles’ are outstanding reads on the worries of the here and now. 

Much of that is thanks to the relentless and confident writing Kingsley Chapman provides on this album, a truly intense offering and a must listen at that.

Chris Brain – New Light

Acoustic folk work has seen a boom in quality over the last few years, and Chris Brain has been front and centre for that development. 

His soft-spoken, effective lyrical work is paired with a truly moving and often tremendous acoustic guitar which guides listeners through the lush fields and pleasant, slow living which comes from countrified music. 

Both a pertinent listen and a promising one, Brain’s New Light release features the fundamental joys of folk music, thanks to songs like ‘New Dying Day’ and ‘Feeling Gone’.

Pete Doherty – Felt Better Alive

Fresh music from Pete Doherty comes from a pile of leftovers. Songs which The Libertines passed on when it came to putting together their latest album.

It sounds as though Doherty made out with the best of his material, though, with Felt Better Alive a soft and moving piece of work from the long-serving frontman. This is not an indie rock blowout but a mellow and often sweet, country release. 

‘The Day The Baron Died’ calls back to a love for historic trails, and so too does ‘Calvados’, a pair of songs which look back on historied countrysides. There are gentle reflections, often softly-spoken too, which provide a depth to Doherty’s work.

Matilda Mann – Roxwell

Debut albums this year are offering, more and more, a read on the artist as messenger. Matilda Mann gives us plenty to think about on her first album, Roxwell. 

Mann has risen well with this first release, built on the back off pencilled lyrics and kitchen speaker demos. These are the momenst which define an artist, and you can hear the defiance in Mann’s work. 

Frankly excellent pieces of music from this debut album, which released at the end of February, comes in the form of ‘Tell Me That I’m Wrong’, ‘Autopilot,’ and ‘All That Was Said’.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy – The Purple Bird

A total of 30 albums into his career now and Bonnie “Prince” Billy has yet to lose a step. His quality remains and the longevity of that is as touchingly brilliant as the album itself. 

That longevity is felt on The Purple Bird, an album which hears Billy collaborate with seasoned lyricists like John Anderson to provide a beautiful piece of country quality. 

What may surprise the returning Bonnie “Prince” Billy listener is that this is the first time he has produced his own album. The results are clear, especially on songs like ‘Guns Are for Cowards’ and ‘Tonight With the Dogs I’m Sleeping’.