JJ Live At Leeds Picks The Best Albums of 2025

It’s that time of year:

2025 draws to a close:

And ’tis the season for compiling best of lists.

Not wanting to miss out, in no particular order: here are some of my favourite albums of 2025, a mix of the new and the established.

Feel free to post your own suggestions.

The New Eves

The New Eve Is Rising

Primitive and primal. John Cale era Velvet Underground go folk, by way of Patti Smith.

The cover art with them in long white dresses and holding aloft a banner announcing ‘The New Eve Is Rising’ lends further to the suggestion they’re lost in time, representing some elemental crusade.

There’s pounding drums, piercing strings and strident vocals that mix singing with spoken word.

Its wild and free, it definitely won’t appeal to everyone and though the influences are obvious there’s nothing else quite like it out there.

Suede

Antidepressants

Unlike other Britpop alumni who have hogged the limelight this year, Suede don’t rest on heritage status.

Since reforming in 2010 they’ve released a series of acclaimed albums that change up the style with each release. They’ve gone through new wave, lushly orchestrated torch songs and now Antidepressants offers post punk cutting guitars and a discordant energy.

That title and song titles like “Broken Music For Broken People” suggest music for the times.

The dark tone offers alienation, dislocation and much more. Pick your nightmare scenario and you may well find it reflected. They may be edging into The Cure’s territory but in their own way, there’s a vital energy to carry you through the dystopia.

Pulp

Sticking with Britpop; a triumphant return on their first album in 24 years. They’d reformed for the occasional tour, but the creative urge finally got the better of them.

Its like they’ve never been away. The risk of it being an exercise in nostalgia is alleviated from the off even as lead track Spike Island references nostalgia by way of an infamous 1990 Stone Roses show. There’s no reinvention in sound.

Its instantly recognisable as Pulp but absence has made the heart grow fonder.

And when the quality is this good, its not a criticism that this is very much a continuation of what made them so good.

There’s the same lyrical themes, even with success they were always outsiders looking in. More deals with those themes with the same wit, perception and unique way of describing the mundane, focussing on the small stuff and reflecting the human condition. The only change is that it reflects their advancing maturity.

Its beautiful, insightful, anthemic and all human life is here.

Sharon Van Etten And The Attachment Theory

Sharon Van Etten And The Attachment Theory

For her 7th album SVE expands her palette by bringing on board a full band who based on the joint writing credits are collaborators rather than just backing band.

It harks back to the British invasion of the 80s and winds its way through a lineage of synths and fat bass lines to the more esoteric 90s work of Stereolab.

It sounds clean, crisp and at times veers into euphoric dancefloor filling territory that is far from her beginnings.

The sequencing is spot on as well, building up through highlight and uber 80s New Order tribute; “Idiot Box,” to a mid album run of maximalist pop before the fragility of “Faded Beauty” brings us back down ready for the slow burn closer.

Horsegirl

Phonetics On And On

The Chicago 3-piece’s 2nd album. Stripped down, lo-fi, jangling guitars but the likes of “2468” are joyous catchy pop songs.

There’s a certain amount of tweeness which may colour your perception but for me adds to my ardour. An album of songs that could easily fit into the Juno soundtrack.

The Men

Buyer Beware

The Men have gone through a number of phases.

Starting out as harsh, screaming punks, they’ve variously mellowed into classic 70s rock, a bit of alt country, garage rock and jangling guitars.

Buyer Beware is at the louder end of their scale but without the confrontational aggression of their early work.

Its straight up dirty garage punk that barrels through 13 songs in 33 minutes. There’s no subtlety here, it never lets up, just one loud riff laden assault after another.

The title does warn you.

The Limiñanas

Faded

French indie rock band onto their 9th album.

They sing in a mix of French and English but whatever the language, to these anglo ears, the accents just sound cool and add exotic flair. There’s the Velvet Underground in there along with garage rock and psychedelia.

This one could be soundtracking a 1960s arthouse film.

You might not understand it, but it looks and sounds terrific. If you ever wondered what a blissed out dreampop version of “Louie Louie” performed in French would sound like, this is your chance to find out.

Anna von Hausswolff

Iconoclasts

The Swedish singer’s sixth album, but I admit the first I’ve heard of her. Previous work is described as “experimental high art.”

Iconoclasts isn’t exactly stocked with pop bangers but is a pivot towards the accessible. There are times it steers toward the avant garde but stays just the right side of the line. Its expansive, cinematic with a rich baroque mixture of pop, rock, folk, jazz and orchestral instrumentation. All of which is necessary to match her incredible piercing vocals.

The 12 tracks take up 73 minutes, giving plenty of room for ideas to slowly develop which makes for a rewarding and immersive listen.

The one track that didn’t work for me is “The Whole Woman” which features guest vocals from Iggy Pop. I’m normally a fan, but his deep vocals feel so out of place it pulled me out of the mood the rest of the album created. That still leaves 11 very special tracks so it deserves its place.

Hotline TNT

Raspberry Moon

Their third album, but first as an actual band – and not just a vehicle for lead man Will Anderson.

Recent years have seen a shoegaze revival, of which their previous work adheres to:

But this one moves them towards a more expansive and powerful dynamic.

There’s still fuzzed up distortion and layered guitars but accompanying them are songs that give off a more straightforward alternative rock vibe and moments of tenderness to break up the explosions of noise.

Baxter Dury

Allbarone

Son of Ian – he’s the kid on the cover of Ian’s New Boots And Panties!! from 1977.

Baxter has built his own idiosyncratic career. Onto album #8 and his characteristic accented speak-sing delivery is present along with subject matter that delves into the seedier side of life. He has his dad’s way with words and ability to tell stories –

“He’s a nylon god, he’s a fantasy,
Nighttime dreaming
Roaming like a panther”

Where it differs is that the music takes a step up into a harder, more pulsating electrobeat that is ready for the dancefloor. Offsetting his gruff voice are accompanying vocals from female singer JGrrey, notably providing a counterpoint and chorus like hooks on the title track.

Wet Leg

moisturizer

The difficult second album following up a much hyped debut? Not here.

The same playfulness they exhibited on their debut is present. There’s nothing that screams radio hit as immediately as “Chaise Longue” or “Wet Dream” but there are still plenty of power pop hooks.

The touchstones remain 90/00s indie and alternative and rather than chasing more mainstream success by smoothing out their sound they retain the same edge.

Only this time – the added resources enable an extra punch, giving an added confidence and texture that provides a real blast.

Melissa Mary Ahern

Kerosene

Melissa has been around for nearly two decades, but this is finally her debut album.

Its reminiscent of Mazzy Star’s woozy atmospherics but adding elements of early 60s RnB and girl groups, subtle electronic undertones and classic AOR.

There are heavy themes at play with songs about loss and her recovery from alcoholism.

But they’re sweetened by her alluring tone and the warm melancholy. That tone also serves to imbue the slower songs with an added sense of confessional intimacy. Its been a long wait but its worthwhile.

CMAT

Euro-Country

Irish singer songwriter; Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, has been building her profile with each release.

And on her third album: has broken into the mainstream on this side of the Atlantic. Throughout her career she’s fused pop, indie, soul and country into hugely catchy songs with mass appeal.

Its a fusion lyrically, as well.

A sense of humour is present, along with unflinching honesty and matters of personal and national identity. Heavy issues that are dealt with in an original, witty and affecting manner.

SPRINTS

All That Is Over

Punk’s not dead. Another Irish act making headway – and leaving the caps- lock on.

Some albums need you to listen in closer to fully appreciate them whereas the force of this one pushes you back in your seat. Their second album builds on the anger and claustrophobia of their debut. Once again there are moments of barely controlled tension that rip open into cathartic releases of noise and impassioned vocals.

Adding a perfect accompaniment to the personal and political commentary railing against the iniquities of the world.

Very different in tone to CMAT, but just as vital and impassioned.

Say She She

Cut And Rewind

The new sound of disco.

The US/UK trio take their lead from late 70s dancefloors, setting their three part harmonies against a background of disco, funk and RnB. Keeping it in a similar era there’s also a hit of new wave which the opening title track uses to good effect before we get down.

While they utilise old school recording techniques to get the appropriate vintage sound, they differ from the past in their lyrical content.

There are the disco staples of love and relationships. But rather than singing of the dancefloor as a hedonistic escape, they lean into using their voices to challenge authority and injustice.

Sister Ray Davies

Holy Island

I walked into Jumbo Records and saw this on their new releases wall. The cover art, the band name and the album title referencing a place I know well instantly sold it to me.

I expected folk. What I got was shoegaze. For me, it leans towards the My Bloody Valentine end of the genre, layer upon layer of sound but full of inventive progressions, distortions and unexpected directions.

The opening track is less a song and more a sound collage to set the scene before we enter a world of shimmering waves of distortion with featherlight vocals that are barely there to start with and are then buried within the mix.

Even more surprising than finding out this isn’t a folk album is that Sister Ray Davies are an American duo based in Muscle Shoals, who happened upon Holy Island in the North East of England while on tour and were fascinated enough by it to make a concept album.

As the name attests, this was an early centre of Celtic christianity from the 6th Century. The island is also known as Lindisfarne and as SRD put it:

“The story of Lindisfarne gave us a framework for what were otherwise very abstract ideas and emotions, it became a way to make sense of our own moment in history.“