2025: Year in Review - Best Albums

This year saw noteworthy albums from Brits such as The London Suede and The Vapors; Australia’s esteemed elder statesman Paul Kelly and young electropop group Parcels (they also turned in a stellar Coachella Festival set last spring); the consistently dependable My Morning Jacket, New York rock singer/songwriter Brian Dunne, plus long-awaited studio releases that didn’t disappoint from: The Hives, Suzanne Vega, Charlatans U.K., Peter Murphy (enlisting Trent Reznor and Tool musicians with riveting results), and Yellowcard (where Travis Barker produced and played drums).

Meanwhile, often-humorous NYC indie rockers We Are Scientists got more serious and made one of their best efforts in 20 years. The Waterboys revealed an intriguing concept album surrounding actor Dennis Hopper. Then John Oates returned to a soulful groove sound that evoked his 1970s work with Daryl Hall (still crossing fingers for a future physical album release).

Below are my Top 5 albums of 2025:

photo: Sarah L. Bennett

1. Sam Fender, People Watching – Hailing from a small town outside Newcastle, England, Fender writes lyrics with a keen eye for observational detail, much like his hero Bruce Springsteen. Since debuting in 2019, the singer/guitarist’s albums have all reached No. 1, and he has won all the prestigious UK awards (Ivor Novello, Mercury Prize, Brits). Stateside, a duet version of Noah Kahan’s “Homesick” garnered prominent airplay, as did “Seventeen Going Under.”

Fender poignantly delves into the toll of his grandmother’s dementia (a brass band accented “Remember My Name”), pays tribute to a deceased mentor (the euphoric title track), Britain’s railway system (“Crumbling Empire”), and dating awkwardness (“Arm’s Length”). The inspiring songs’ gauzy sound is often textured with glockenspiel, harmonica, saxophone, synths, and sleek early Dire Straits-leaning guitar work. Much credit goes to Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs who plays multiple instruments and co-produced along with Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire), Fender, and his bandmates. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn adds guest vocals too. Note: A deluxe edition was recently released with Elton John and Olivia Dean duets. 

photo: Frank Lebon

2. Lady Gaga, Mayhem – Since the late 2000s, the Lady Gaga has been a musical chameleon, effortlessly shape shifting into various musical styles with panache. Mayhem, her sixth platinum album (excluding soundtracks and Tony Bennett collaborations) is no exception. It debuted at No. 1 and includes “Die with a Smile,” Gaga’s sublime Grammy winning, pop chart-topping, Bruno Mars duet. In many ways, the album is Gaga’s most audacious and hard hitting. A self-described return to the “gothic dreams of the first two albums,” the artist envisioned the lyrical arc as a night out on the town with friends. French DJ/record producer Gesaffelstein, Cirkut and Andrew Watt are the main collaborators; Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith also drums on a tune.

Among the bangers: the disco-fueled “Shadow of a Man”; an EDM-laced “Abracadabra,” where Gaga sings about facing challenges, finding magic and interpolates Siouxsie & The Banshees’ “Spellbound”; the 2000s electronica of “Garden of Eden”; and industrial funk of “Killah” (containing a cool guitar nod to Bowie’s “Fame”). Then there’s the gorgeous ‘80s synth pop (think: Yaz) of “How Bad Do You Want Me?,” and dramatic ballad “Blade of Grass” (inspired by the singer’s engagement). Fascinating at every turn.

photo: Lewis Evans

3. Inhaler, Open Wide – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Frontman Elijah Hewson possesses a stirring vocal style much like his father Bono. Since debuting in 2021, the Dublin-based alt-rock band has gone from strength to strength, notching five top 20 hits at AAA radio in America, and three top 5 albums in the UK.

The third and latest one was produced by Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles). Inhaler displays more of its pop side and fortifies a few choruses with a 12-piece choir. Hewson said the songs’ lyrics revolved around the feeling you might have right before jumping off a cliff. There’s a distinct elation surrounding several tracks as a result.

Key examples: an ebullient “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah),” driven by a frothy melody a la The 1975; “Your House,” which, despite being about the stalkerish nature of young love, boasts a joyous vibe, Muse-styled guitar effects and finds Hewson singing, “There ain’t a sharp enough knife/To Cut Me Out of Your Life”; a driving, totally infectious “A Question of You” and danceable “All I Got is You,” propelled by a crystalline guitar and emotional vocals.

4. Djo, The Crux – Djo, the stage name of Joe Keery - an actor/musician whose recent prominent TV credits include “Stranger Things” and “Fargo” – watched his dreamy 2022 song “End of the Beginning” go viral on TikTok last year and land in the top 10 most streamed songs on Spotify (currently 1.8 billion).

Djo’s third album is an engaging sonic step forward from the bedroom pop of its predecessor with an increased guitar rock presence. Keery co-produced, co-wrote and played several instruments on the songs. Fellow “Stranger Things” actor Charlie Heaton supplied dialogue and music to the Beatlesque “Charlie’s Garden.” Members of Keery’s family and his former psych rock band Post Animal also contributed.

Highlights include the baroque-sounding “Potion,” 1970s glam rock stylings on “Back to You,” a bouncy synth-laden “Busy Being Basic,” where Djo channels late ‘90s Beck and name checks luggage/handbag company Vera Bradley,” and the giddy power pop of “Link.” Note: a deluxe version is also available. 

5. Lord Huron, Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1 – This LA-based indie folk/rock band is best known for the mid-2010s platinum-certified sleeper hit “The Night We Met,” which went top 5 at rock radio and has more than 3 billion streams on Spotify (a version with Phoebe Bridgers was featured on the soundtrack to Netflix series “13 Reasons Why”).

Listening to the group’s enrapturing fifth album is like inhabiting another world, as if you’d walked into a real life “Twin Peaks,” where nothing is as it seems and the soundscapes are drenched in reverb. Singer/songwriter Ben Schneider writes evocative lyrics which ponder questions of life, mysteries of the universe and the natural world.

The title “cosmic selector” itself refers to the theme of choosing your path and how it’s never quite what you imagined. A haunting “Who Laughs Last” features spoken word by actress Kristen Stewart, while Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino adds guest vocals to “Fire Eternal.” Jay Joyce produced the more Americana-leaning “Nothing I Need” and brought in some well-known Nashville session men for an earthy sound.

A version of my roundup originally appeared in the December digital issue of Rock Cellar Magazine, which can be accessed at www.rockcellarmagazine.com.