Took me half of twenty-six to finish putting together my yearly music list. I think the reason I procrastinated so long on this is because there are a lot of different styles and I was having a hard time figuring out how to connect them.
Here it is: 126 minute mix of the best songs I heard first in 2025. Below you’ll find the track listing, a favorite lyric, and my thoughts about each song). Listen and let me know what you think!
1. Lay All Your Love On Me – Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion
“Don’t go sharing your devotion. Lay all of your love on me.”
This is sort of an Abba cover and also completely its own thing. Sort of a prayer and a comfort for me these days. Caroline Shaw’s vocals are so powerful, i don’t have the right vocabulary to describe it but the beauty, intensity, and emotional range on this song (and the entire record) is impressive. Emmett turned me on to Sō Percussion back when he was in percussion ensemble, don’t know how I missed this coming out in 2021. If you like the sound, this live performance video is absolutely worth watching.
2. FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE – Kassa Overall
Kassa put out a really fun record where they do jazz reinterpretations of classic hip hop songs. While it’s 100% a jazz thing, if you know the source material you’ll find yourself rapping lines under your breath (if you really want to party with me…). Another favorite from the same record is “SpottieOttieDopaliscious.”
3. Elegantly Wasted – Leon Bridges & Hermanos Gutiérrez
“The way you played with my head. Oh, all the way to my soul”
This song is so much more about vibes than anything else. Leon’s silky smooth vocal stylings over the “can’t resist” Hemanos Gutiérrez moody instrumentals. Good stuff.
4. You Look Certain (I’m Not So Sure) – Mount Kimbie & Andrea Balency
“You look certain, I’m not so sure”
Musically, this is some kind of meld of new wave, garage, electronic. Great combination of sounds and droney yet melodic vocals. Makes me feel like I’m twenty years younger, listening to one of my friend Justin’s DJ sets.
5. Rewind – Dijon
“You think that he can’t learn that?”
I listened to Dijon’s “Baby” a TON in 2025. It was hard to pick a favorite, but i keep coming back to “Rewind.” I like the build, the noise, and the intensity of the vocals when it swells. The song remains at the cusp of something, leaking out just a bit.
6. In Between Us – Immersion & SUSS
“speak with no words, no words to say in between us”
I’m a fan of pretty much anything “SUSS” these days. This collaboration with Immersion makes me feel like i’m listening to an Air remix with moody western ambient flair. The whole EP is great, but this one is my favorite.
7. Take It to the Limit – Leif Vollebekk & Angie McMahon
“the dreams I’ve seen lately keep on turning out and burning out and turning out the same”
I might have listened to this Eagles cover a hundred times since it came out. Leif’s take on this song is better than the original. The tune plays to his strengths, and Angie McMahon’s vocals take it over the top.
8. American Dreaming – Sierra Ferrell
“My mind’s always workin’ on on the way it could’ve been”
It took a while for this record to grow on me, but it has. Excellently crafted and performed country music. I’m excited to hear what comes next from her.
9. Weight Of The Wheel – Kassi Valazza
“Disguised as poetry it lands, but you’re feeling lonesome you’re feeling bad”
Another country tune with a female vocalist. I just love the lyrics on this one. The chorus gets stuck in my head but that’s okay cause I love it. This live version from Western AF is pretty great too.
10. Where Will I Go – Logan Ledger
“They say you know when you know. Well I think I know.”
Ledger’s “Golden State” has a lot of great songs on it. After listening for many months, this is the one that I come back to. It’s my favorite of his to sing along to.
11. The Spook – Peter Drake
I went into a youtube rabbit hole looking for cool lap steel songs and discovered Peter Drake. This tune is timelessly great. If you like this kind of thing, it’s worth watching Drake do “Forever” in this video.
12. Ro-Rotation – Penza Penza
Misha Panfilov rarely misses. This surf-rock-funk romp is a lot of fun. Good for living room dancing and washing dishes and driving the ATV around.
13. Neilah – Ofir Ganon
Ganon’s “Same Air” is a remarkable instrumental record. I chose “Neilah” for this list because it’s got a little bite to it.
14. New Pyramid – Phi-Psonics
These guys continue to make new and interesting jazz that still (sort of) sounds like you could have heard it in a lounge in the early sixties. One of my favorite records of the year.
15. Intérieurs – Laurie Torres
My goodness—this record. A retreat, a rest. A wandering through the woods. A grief observed. Here’s Laurie performing Lisière.
16. I Think You Were in My Profile Picture Once – Modern Baseball
“You’ve got a certain who knows what about you”
I think this one came my way via one of my boys. It takes me back to what i’ve always liked best about indie folk: short, evocative, beautiful songs.
17. If You Know Me – demo – Hudson Freeman
“If you know me like you think you do, you’d just tell me I’m off, you’d just read me the news”
This tune got a little viral on the social media and I’m glad because I probably would have missed it otherwise. Stripped down, low and loose guitar. Raw and lazy vocal delivery. The craft and sensibility that comes through it all excites me.
18. Sleepy Hollow – Volodja Brodsky
Solo piano. A quiet and beautiful record to put on when it’s cold and dark outside and warm by the fire.
19. As Good A Place As Any (No Hard Feelings) – Ryan Richter
“No bad karma, no curses on ya. You’ll go your way and I’ll go mine”
An epic tune that conjures up what i’ve loved about the best of Jim O’Rourke. The majority of this twenty minute track is instrumental—lots of great fingerpicking and slide guitar and ambient country type soundscapes. At the end there is a small vocal section that harkens me back to Papa M or any of the Drag City folks putting out records in the early 2000s. I am loving Ryan’s catalog, but it’s too small.