Top 20 Albums of 2025

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For a full list and year-end wrap-up click here: MaxSounds 2025

For 2025 I did something first time: I tracked every complete album I listened to. Sure, Spotify Wrapped comes out every November, but it doesn’t account for the music I listen to on CD, vinyl, or from other sources. I found that keeping track this way made me much more mindful of what I was listening to – and the process itself encouraged me to listen to more music.

Here are some basic numbers for the year:
• 465 total album plays
• 379 unique albums
• 174 albums listened to for the first time
• 75 albums released in 2025

I believe this exercise pushed me in two directions at once: listening to more new releases while also diving deeper into the back catalogs of artists I already love. You can find the full list here. The first tab includes every album, alphabetized by artist, with additional tabs for each month of the year.

MaxSounds 2025 Top 20

  1. The Last Dinner Party • From The Pyre
  2. Wet Leg • Moisturizer
  3. Ivy • Traces of You
  4. Florence + the Machine • Everybody Scream
  5. Steven Wilson • The Overview
  6. The Beths • Straight Line Was A Lie
  7. Sprints • All That Is Over
  8. Austra • Chin Up Buttercup
  9. Lucius • Lucius
  10. Deep Sea Diver • Billboard Heart
  11. Sharon Van Etten • & the Attachment Theory
  12. Robert Plant • Saving Grace
  13. Jehnny Beth • You Heartbreaker, You
  14. Portugal. The Man • SHISH
  15. Momma • Welcome to My Blue Sky
  16. Geese • Getting Killed
  17. Garbage • Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
  18. Kadavar • K.A.D.A.V.A.R.
  19. Melody’s Echo Chamber • Unclouded
  20. Automatic • Is It Now?

Bonus Album

More Notable albums & Late Discoveries (a-z)

  • Beach Bunny • Tunnel Vision
  • Envy of None • Stygian Wavz
  • Hand Habits • Blue Reminder
  • Horsegirl • Phonetics On and On
  • L.A. Witch • DOGGOD
  • Lambrini Girls • Who Let the Dogs Out
  • Mammoth • The End
  • My Morning Jacket • is
  • Pacifica • In Your Face!
  • Porridge Radio • The Machine Starts to Sing [ep]
  • Raveonettes • Peahi II
  • Saint Etienne • International

Notable Albums from OG Artists

  • Bryan Ferry • Loose Talk (w Amelia Barratt)
  • David Byrne • Who Is the Sky
  • Peter Murphy • Silver Shade

1- The Last Dinner Party • From The Pyre

In an age when many rock and pop bands operate on three-year album-and-tour cycles, it’s both surprising and refreshing to receive a second release from a band as in demand as The Last Dinner Party just 19 months after their excellent debut, Prelude to Ecstasy. From the Pyre builds on that foundation and expands it with the confidence of full-fledged sonic world-building. Every song feels like its own distinct setting, where vocals, lyrics, melodies, and instrumentation combine to draw the listener deep into a richly imagined, fantastical reality.  Also, when this band wants, they can rock out – check out “Second Best” from the All Things Go Festival this fall. [2025-list]

2- Wet Leg • Moisturizer

If anyone thought Wet Leg’s self-titled debut was a fluke, or dismissed them as unserious because some of their lyrics were funny, well, this is the answer. The band takes everything that made that first album great and does it again here, only better. Their second album, Moisturizer, still delivers clever lyrics and plenty of hooks, but this time around everything feels bigger and bolder. And beyond the obvious fun of listening to Rian Teasdale sing, growl, scream and purr, this band has guitars – and knows exactly how to use them! Check out the live-in-the-studio performance of “CPR” on Later… with Jools Holland. [2025-list]

3- Ivy • Traces of You

New York indie-pop trio Ivy has been a favorite of mine since I discovered them in 2001 with the release of their third LP, Long Distance. I quickly worked backward through their catalog and then picked up each new offering as it came out.  

Formed in 1991, Ivy consisted of French vocalist Dominique Durand (who had never sung in a band before), Adam Schlesinger (also of Fountains of Wayne), and multi-instrumentalist Andy Chase. Between 1995 and 2011, they released six albums, specializing in sophisticated, often shimmering pop combined with elements of indie rock. Throughout their career, Ivy seemed to exist entirely outside whatever scene was dominating music at the time.

Sadly, Adam Schlesinger passed away in 2020, and the band decided not to continue without him. A few years later, Durand and Chase discovered a trove of unfinished demo recordings and song ideas they had worked on over the years that had never been fully realized. They realized there was enough material to complete an album both as a tribute to their departed bandmate and as a farewell to their fans.

According to the surviving members, for this album, they would only work on songs that included Schlesinger. The recordings they developed into full songs came from throughout their career, giving the album a timeless quality while retaining all the hallmarks of a classic Ivy record.

Here’s “Edge of the Ocean” from Long Distance – probably the first Ivy song that caught my ear.  And here’s “Say You Will” from Traces of You. [2025-list]

4- Florence + the Machine • Everybody Scream

Florence Welch seems to pour her entire being into every album she makes. In her case, it’s probably a good thing we only get a new release every three years or so – the sheer amount of life she experiences, absorbs, and then channels into her music might be too much otherwise. Mostly for her! A prime example is the epic six-and-a-half minute long epic, “One of the Greats”, which builds and builds, then back down, only to finally burst wide open in sound and emotion. [2025-list] 

5- Steven Wilson • The Overview

It’s not easy to describe Steven Wilson to someone who’s never heard him, and I’m not going to try in this space. If you know, you know. The Overview marks a return to prog rock: a space-themed epic consisting of just two side-long tracks (if this were a vinyl record). The most obvious touchstones are Hawkwind, early Alan Parsons Project, and Animals-era Pink Floyd – but as always, Wilson creates an original sound from these familiar influences.

Here’s the video for the “Infinity Measured in Moments” section from the album’s second half. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and drift through space with Steven Wilson. 

[2025-list]

6- The Beths • Straight Line Was a Lie

I discovered The Beths, a four-piece indie-rock band from New Zealand, last year after falling down a YouTube rabbit hole and landing on the video for “Expert in a Dying Field.” The song and video were clever, but what really grabbed me was Elizabeth Stokes’ fantastic voice and her distinctive, melodic phrasing. 

That first listen sent me digging further into their catalog where I found a band that balances hook-laden guitar pop with lyrical themes that swing from playful to devastating.  

So I was ready when their latest LP, Straight Line Was A Lie, dropped in August. This album seems to pick up where their previous LP’s left off, with more seemingly upbeat – even buoyant – songs, while the lyrics often sit in sharp contrast to those catchy melodies.  Here’s the video for “No Joy” which perfectly captures that dichotomy. [2025-list]

7- SPRINTS • All That Is Over

SPRINTS – the indie/garage/punk/post-punk/rock band from Dublin (is that enough descriptors?) – is back with their second LP in as many years. Like The Last Dinner Party at the top of this list, SPRINTS landed in my top 20 for the second year running. This time out, they took everything I already liked about them and somehow made it bigger. Check out this video for “Descartes” to hear exactly what I mean. [2025-list]

8- Austra • Chin Up Buttercup

Like aforementioned The Beths, Austra’s Katie Stelmanis is adept at combining meaningful, insightful lyrics with catchy melodies and hooks.  But instead of guitar, bass and drums, Austra accomplishes this with keyboards, electronics and drum machines. 

Check out the video for “Math Equation” for a perfect example of pulsing, melodic music serving as the backdrop for razor-sharp storytelling. [2025-list]

9- Lucius • Lucius

I only discovered Lucius with the release of this album in May, but I was drawn into their sound immediately. The music – and especially the dual lead vocals of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig – sounded both fresh and familiar to me. After a bit of digging, I discovered why: the singers had lent their voices to The Killers’ Imploding the Mirage LP, as well as on several collaborations with The War On Drugs, among others.  

On this album – the New York band’s fourth since debuting in 2013 – Adam Granduciel of TWOD returns the favor, adding his trademark guitar work, which intertwines perfectly with the singers’ voices on the track “Old Tape”. 

And then there’s the album’s lead track, “Final Days,” one of my favorite songs of the year. The song, which deals with the impending death of a loved one, begins as a stately piano ballad that evokes ABBA, with Wolfe’s and Laessig’s voices blending into one. Gradually, more sounds and instruments are added and layered with increasing intensity until the song practically explodes into another dimension. This is the good stuff – yet another rebuttal to anyone who insists that modern music sucks. [2025-list]

10- Deep Sea Diver • Billboard Heart

This band once again proved why my long-standing rule of arriving early enough to catch the opening act is a good one. Back in May of 2024 (on my birthday!) I drove from San Diego to Los Angeles to see Pearl Jam at the Fabulous Forum on their Dark Matter tour.  

Opening for them was Deep Sea Diver, an indie rock band from Seattle led by Jessica Dobson on vocals and guitar – and what an opening set it was! I made a point of not listening to the band beforehand, which made the experience even better. Discovering such a strong band live, in real time, felt like a reminder of why those early arrivals are always worth it.  

Fast forward to 2025 and the release of Billboard Heart, the band’s fourth LP since their 2012 debut. It captures all the energy I saw onstage a year earlier, channeling it into a set of songs built on big hooks, shimmering synths, grooving bass lines, and plenty of guitar noise.  Here’s “What Do I Know” on Live on KEXP. [2025-list]

11- Sharon Van Etten • Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory

Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, the first of Van Etten’s albums to be credited as a full-band effort, is bookended by two five-minute-plus tracks – “Live Forever” and “I Want You Here” – that build slowly and finish big. In between is a set of songs that draw from influences as wide-ranging as the post-punk of early New Order and Joy Division (“Somethin’ Ain’t Right”) to the pulsing, neo-rock-disco of Masseduction-era St. Vincent (“I Can’t Imagine”). Yet Van Etten and her band pull these influences together in a way that feels unmistakably their own. Here’s an incendiary performance of “Southern Life (What it Must Be Like)” from The Tonight Show earlier this year. [2025-list]

12- Robert Plant • Saving Grace

I wonder how surprised we all would have been, back in Led Zeppelin’s 1970s heyday, to hear the kind of music Robert Plant would be releasing four or five decades later. His voice, vision, and sound have evolved so dramatically over time that it’s hard to believe this is the same artist we first met in 1969, proclaiming, “In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.”  And yet, this new record – named after his new backing band, Saving Grace – still carries his unmistakable voice as the band drifts through Americana, roots rock and the blues.  And while Plant is clearly the main draw, this is a genuine collaboration with his new band and their vocalist, Suzi Dian.  Check out “Higher Rock” from their appearance on Later … with Jools Holland to hear what I mean. [2025-list]

13- Jehnny Beth • You Heartbreaker, You

Like her previous band, Savages, Jehnny Beth’s music is ferocious and uncompromising. Where Savages largely channeled the sound and spirit of the original post-punk era, Beth has expanded on that foundation, adding more layers and complexity – including clear nods to the electronic and industrial textures of Nine Inch Nails.  Here’s the official video for the song, “No Good for People” (also, turn the volume up!) [2025-list]

14- Portugal. The Man • SHISH

If this album was merely just its opening track, “Denali”, a kind of avant-garde grunge-metal anthem, followed by a bunch of filler, it would still be worthwhile.  Thankfully there’s much more to follow!  

With their tenth LP,  Portugal. The Man seems to be finished with chasing hits like they did throughout their “Creep in a T-shirt” to “Feel It Still” phase (which I loved by the way).  Instead, they’ve returned to their earlier, more experimental approach, where anything can happen from song to song – or even within a single track.

Here’s a live performance of “Denali” from The Showbox in Seattle. [2025-list]

15- Momma • Welcome to My Blue Sky

I’m aware that it’s lazy writing to rely too heavily on comparisons and references, but here we go anyway: if somehow the 1990s versions of The Breeders, Belly and Sleater Kinney had a lovechild in the 2020s, it would sound like Momma.  That said, Momma is far more than a nostalgia act. The band has taken those clear influences and shaped them into a sound that feels fully their own. 

Led by co-founders, singers, and guitarists Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, the band pairs crunchy, fuzzed-out guitars with sticky hooks and combines this sound with lyrics that feel both personal and universal. This is one of those albums that gets better every time I listen to it.   Here’s “I Want You (Fever)” to show you what I mean. [2025-list]

16- Geese • Getting Killed

I came across Geese late in the year, so I haven’t had much time with this album. At first, the band’s sound – and Cameron Winter’s voice in particular – was a little off-putting, simply because there was so much going on. By my second listen, though, I decided to just go with the flow, and I found myself enjoying their eccentric, almost anti-commercial sound. The comparisons to David Byrne and early Clap Your Hands Say Yeah feel obvious, but this band is clearly carving out a sound of their own.  

Here’s “Taxes” played on Jimmy Kimmel Live [2025-list]

17- Garbage • Let All That We Imagine Be the Light

I remember listening to Garbage’s debut album when it came out back in 1995. For some reason, it didn’t grab me and I moved on. Then Version 2.0 dropped in 1998 and I gave that record a spin. Holy moly, what an album – it felt like a greatest-hits collection made up entirely of new material! I went back and revisited the first album afterward and couldn’t figure out what I’d been thinking, because that one was fantastic too.

So here we are, 30 years after that debut, and Garbage have returned with their eighth LP. There may not be as many instantly infectious hooks as on those first two releases – songs like “Only Happy When It Rains” or “I Think I’m Paranoid” – but everything else is still firmly in place. The band continues to build a massive wall of sound around Shirley Manson’s iconic roar. Garbage hasn’t substantially changed their sound over the past three decades, yet they never sound dated. This album is best played with the volume turned up to 1!

Here’s “There’s No Future In Optimism” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. [2025-list]

18- Kadavar • K.A.D.A.V.A.R.

I discovered this psychedelic hard-rock band from Germany about a decade ago when they opened for Austin doom/prog-rockers The Sword, and I’ve followed them ever since. This album scratches the same itch I had growing up on early Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Rainbow. Here are a couple of performance videos that show what Kadavar is all about: “Lies”  and  “Total Annihilation” (a song that completely lives up to its title!) [2025-list]

19- Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded

If I were asked how I first discovered the music of Melody Prochet, the French multi-instrumentalist, I wouldn’t have an answer. She must have slipped into my musical orbit while I wasn’t paying attention. But I’m glad I found her in time to enjoy this new record, Unclouded, which I’ve since learned is her fourth album since her self-titled debut in 2012. The album has a cinematic yet dreamlike sound, chill and atmospheric without ever becoming boring. I’m now looking forward to diving into the rest of Melody’s catalog. Here’s the video for the opening track, “The House That Doesn’t Exist”. [2025-list]

20- Automatic • Is It Now?

If Gary Numan, circa “Cars” and “Are Friends Electric?”, got together with Ladytron around the time of Gravity the Seducer, it might sound a bit like Automatic. Automatic is a three-piece band from Los Angeles that formed in 2017, combining the stark electronics of the late ’70s with early ’80s post-punk, then filtering it all through the detached cool of the ’60s. The result is a sound that feels both out of step with time, and completely timeless.  Here’s the official video for the lead track “Black Box” [2025-list]

Bonus- Panda Bear • Sinister Grift

I came across this album just as I was finishing my list for the year. It’s already a daunting task paring down all the new music I listened to into a top-20 list, without having an artist I’d barely heard of catch my ear right as I was “going to press.” A quick check revealed that Panda Bear is the solo project of Noah Lennox from Animal Collective—another artist I know almost nothing about. All of this goes to show that no matter how much I try, I can’t listen to everything! That said, Panda Bear is now firmly on my radar, and I really like what I’m hearing so far.  Here’s a video for “Praise” – enjoy the cute dogs! [2025-list]

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