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As we would say in China – 好久不见 – “long time no see.” I’m currently occupying the dead zone between Christmas and New Year in a beachside hotel on an island just off the coast of Guangdong Province. And, surprise surprise, I have once again written my AOTY list in early December and have forgotten to publish it anywhere, or even justify my choices. You’ll have to believe that I have my reasons, and that I have woken up in the middle of the night at least once worried about some of the placements below. As is always the case, not to say that these are the ‘best’ albums of 2025, but just my favourites. Some albums speak to me more than others; don’t mind my Swans placement (I’m still trying). I think it’s a decent list, all in all.

So, I have set myself the task of posting this here list today, so that I can enjoy the beach this afternoon feeling like I have done something productive this morning. There’s a cold wind, but I’ll layer up. Maybe I’ll even rent myself a jet ski in celebration. Imagine that, this guy on a jet ski. Happy new year.

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Honorable Mentions:

These are ten albums I enjoyed, but have not listened to a whole lot. Or, they are albums from artists I like, but which didn’t land for me as much this year compared to some of their previous records (looking at you, Architects).

• Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between
• Black Foxxes – The Haar
• clipping. – Dead Channel Sky Plus
• Alex G – Headlights
• VLURE – Escalate
• Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
• Obongjayar – Paradise Now
• Stickerbush heavensouls – Darkskin Niggas with Lightskin Problems
• Skrillex – F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3
• Thrice – Horizons / West

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Full List:

100) The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die – Dreams of Being Dust

99) Rosie Tucker – UTOPIA NOW!

98) Stella Donnelly – Love and Fortune

97) Model/Actriz – Pirouette

96) Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

95) La Dispute – No One Was Driving the Car

94) Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar

93) Georgia Harmer – Eye of the Storm

92) Swans – Birthing

91) Sterosity – New Life Will Grow

90) Liquid Mike – Hell Is An Airport

89) Kevin Abstract – Blush

88) Honningbarna – Soft Soft

87) Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo 2

86) Bartees Strange – Horror

85) Arm’s Length – There’s a Whole World Out There

84) Heartworms – Glutton For Punishment

83) key vs. lock – I felt like a sketch

82) Moontype – I Let the Wind Push Down On Me

81) Orthodox – A Door Left Open

80) Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea

79) Wisp – If Not Winter

78) you, infinite – ST

77) Ben Quad – Wisher

76) Joanne Robertson – Blurrr

75) Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover – What of Our Nature

74) vianova – Hit It!

73) Planning for Burial – It’s Closeness, It’s Easy

72) NewDad – Altar

71) Miya Folick – Erotica Veronica

70) Corey Mastrangelo – New Context

69) Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp

68) Fortitude Valley – Part of the Problem, Baby

67) Hayley Williams – Ego Death at A Bachelorette Party

66) The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven

65) Athletics – What Makes You Think this is How It All Ends?

64) The Armed – THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED

63) Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee

62) Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025)

61) Danny Brown – Stardust

60) Subsonic Eye – Singapore Dreaming

59) Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer

58) Lucy Dacus – Forever is a Feeling

57) Lily Allen – West End Girl

56) Hut Mulligan – The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still

55) Biffy Clyro – Futique

54) Home is Where – Hunting Season

53) Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones

52) Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper

51) BRUIT ≤ – The Age Of Ephemerality

50) Militarie Gun – God Save the Gun

49) Wet Leg – moisturizer

48) Samia – Bloodless

47) PUP – Who Will Look After The Dogs?

46) MIRAR – Ascension

45) Julien Baker & TORRES – Send a Prater My Way

44) aya – hexed!

43) Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean – I Tried Catching You But You Fell Through Me, Consumed By the Vitriol of Life [also album title of the year]

42) Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH

41) ROSALIA – LUX

40) Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera

39) Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You [note on this one: Nettles is my song of the year]

38) Deftones – private music

37) Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE

36) Adult Mom – Natural Causes

35) Perfume Genius – Glory

34) Racing Mount Pleasant – ST

33) Water From Your Eyes – It’s a Beautiful Place

32) Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal

31) Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs

30) Mac Miller – Balloonerism

29) JID – God Does Like Ugly

28) caroline – caroline 2

27) Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong

26) Big Thief – Double Infinity

25) Oslo – Choke Enough

24) McKinley Dixon – Magic, Alive!

23) Mon Laferte – FEMME FATALE

22) Wednesday – Bleeds

21) FKA Twigs – Eusexua

20) SPELLLING – Portrait of my Heart

19) Panda Bear – Sinister Grift

18) Maruja – Pain to Power

17) Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)

16) Earl Sweatshirt – Live Laugh Love

15) Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures

14) Backxwash – Only Dust Remains

13) Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz

12) Laura Stevenson – Late Great [note: the only album I reviewed this year]

11) Geese – Getting Killed

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10) Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

9) billy woods – GOLLIWOG

8) Little Simz – Lotus

7) Antony Szmierek – Service Station at the end of the Universe

6) Greg Freeman – Burnover

5) Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power

4) Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

3) Whitechapel – Hymns in Dissonance

2) L.S. Dunes – Violet

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1) Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam

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You don’t have to have a reason,

Let the wind blow the candle flame and

It’s gonna find you again, and again, and again.

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