My Favorite Albums of 2025

1. Tamino — Every Dawn's a Mountain
2. Turnstile — Never Enough
3. Lady Gaga — Mayhem
4. Sam Fender — People Watching
5. Lily Allen — West End Girl
6. Uwade — Florilegium
7. Free Range — Lost & Found
8. Feine Sahne Fischfilet — Wir kommen in Frieden
9. The Beaches — No Hard Feelings
10. Lorde — Virgin
11. Molly Tuttle — So Long Little Miss Sunshine
12. Messa — The Spin
13. Djo — The Crux
14. Ken Pomeroy — Cruel Joke
15. Rob Jungklas — December
16. Ghost — Skeletá
17. Brown Horse — All The Right Weaknesses
18. Grace Potter — Medicine
19. Lily Seabird — Trash Mountain
20. Greet Death — Die in Love
21. Kauan — Wayhome
22. We Are Scientists — Qualifying Miles
23. Gordi — Like Plasticine
24. Local H — reFisted
25. Jason Isbell — Foxes in the Snow

25 more bangers

• Amy Macdonald — Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
• The Besnard Lakes — …Are the Ghost Nation
• Billie Marten — Dog Eared
• Century — Sign of the Storm
• Craig Finn — Always Been
• Curtis Harding — Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt
• Fayzz — Patch
• Green Deer 青鹿 — Black Sun 光,照不到的地方
• Gwenno — Utopia
• Hand Habits — Blue Reminder
• Hannah Cohen — Earthstar Mountain
• Hayden Pedigo — I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away
• Heisskat — Vom Tun und Lassen
• Jonathan Personne — Nouveau Monde
• My Morning Jacket — is
• Natalie Bergman — My Home Is Not In This World
• Palmyra — Restless
• Sam Amidon — Salt River
• Sam Moss — Swimming
• Shura — I Got Too Sad For My Friends
• Silver Synthetic — Rosalie
• Stefanie Schrank — Forma
• Tunde Adebimpe — Thee Black Boltz
• ZSK — Feuer & Papier
• 肉树 [Roushu] — 北京游乐园 [Beijing Amusement Park]

My favorite albums of 2024

1. Colouring — Love to You, Mate
2. The Decemberists — As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
3. Yasmin Williams—Acadia
4. Phosphorescent—Revelator
5. Wildflower—Green World
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—Wild God
7. Kacey Musgraves—Deeper Well
8. NewDad—MADRA
9. Remi Wolf—Big Ideas
10. Kettcar—Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt

Other bangers:

• Adrianne Lenker—Bright Future
• Angélica Garcia—Gemelo
• Aurora—What Happened to the Heart?
• Bill Ryder-Jones—Iechyd Da
• Blaudzun—Better Days
• Bob Vylan—Humble As the Sun
• Bonny Light Horseman—Keep Me on Your Mind / See You Free
• Christopher Owens—I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair
• Dog Unit—At Home
• Emel Mathlouthi—MRA
• Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra—Did You Do the Thing We Talked About?
• Fabiana Palladino — s/t
• Francis of Delirium—Lighthouse
• GIFT—Illuminator
• Guster—Ooh La La
• Hannah Frances—Keeper of the Shepherd
• Hi! Spencer—oben
• Hurray for the Riff Raff—The Past Is Still Alive
• Jack White—No Name
• Japandroids—Fate & Alcohol
• Johnny Blue Skies—Passage Du Desir
• Jónsi—First Light
• Kiely Connell—My Own Company
• Klez.e—Erregung
• The Last Dinner Party—Prelude to Ecstasy
• Les Amazones D'Afrique—Musow Danse
• The Libertines—All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
• Madeline Juno—Nur zu Besuch
• Madi Diaz—Weird Faith
• The Marías—Submarine
• Mk.gee—Two Star & The Dream Police
• Ned Collette—Our Other History
• Prairiewolf—Deep Time
• Real Estate—Daniel
• The Secret Sisters—Mind, Man, Medicine
• SPRINTS—Letter to Self
• Strand of Oaks—Miracle Focus
• Tidiane Thiam—Africa Yontii
• Waxahatchee—Tigers Blood
• 16层—大快朵颐

My Favorite Albums of 2023

Top ten, ranked 

1. Peter Gabriel — i/o
2. The Mountain Goats — Jenny from Thebes
3. Olivia Rodrigo — Guts
4. Wilco — Cousin
5. We Are Scientists — Lobes
6. Tiny Ruins — Ceremony
7. Anohni and the Johnsons — My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
8. Molly Tuttle — City of Gold
9. The National — First Two Pages of Frankenstein
10. Lana Del Rey — Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Rest of list, unranked:

• Alex Lahey — The Answer Is Always Yes
• Altin Gün — Aşk
• CMAT — Crazymad, For Me
• Der Assistant — Der Assistant
• Feine Sahne Fischfilet — Alles glänzt
• Gia Margaret — Romantic Piano
• Grace Potter — Mother Road
• Gregory Alan Isakov — Appaloosa Bones
• The Hold Steady — The Price of Progress
• Hugjiltu — Returning to Childhood
• Jason Isbell — Weathervanes
• Joseph — The Sun
• Julian le Play — TABACCO
• Juni Habel — Carvings
• Low Cut Connie — Art Dealers
• Lucero — Should've Learned By Now
• Mimi Webb — Amelia
• Mitski — The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
• Pippa — Blick
• Romy — Mid Air
• Sigur Rós — ÁTTA
• Sunny War — Anarchist Gospel
• William Lee Ellis — Ghost Hymns
• Woods — Perennial
• ZSK — HassLiebe

My Favorite Albums of 2022

 

Top ten, ranked

1. Wilco - Cruel Country
2. Camila Cabello - Familia
3. David Ford - Love & Death / May You Live in Interesting Times
4. Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch
5. Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island
6. Kyla La Grange - While Your Heart's Still Beating
7. Bob Vylan - Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life
8. Lissie - Carving Canyons
9. Titus Andronicus - The Will to Live
10. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

Rest of list, unranked:

• Amenra / Cave In / Marissa Nadler - Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol III
• Anaïs Mitchell - Anaïs Mitchell
• Ashley McBryde - Lindeville
• Bear's Den - Blue Hours
• Benjamin Clementine - And I Have Been
• Blaudzin - Lonely City Exit Wounds
• Bonny Light Horseman - Rolling Golden Holy
• Buck 65 - King of Drums
• Buddy Guy - The Blues Don't Lie
• The Cactus Blossoms - One Day
• caroline - caroline
• CMAT - If My Wife New I'd Be Dead
• Dedicated Men of Zion - The Devil Don't Like It
• Gabriels - Angels & Queens - Part I
• Ghost - IMPERA
• Hurray for the Riff Raff - Live on Earth
• John Fullbright - The Liar
• Joyride - Miracle Question
• Kamaiyah - Divine Timing
• Let's Whisper - The In-Between Times
• Los Bitchos - Let the Festivities Begin!
• Lumbematz - Nichts Perfekt
• Lykke Li - EYEYE
• Medicine Singers - Medicine Singers
• Messa - Close
• Midlake - For the Sake of Bethel Woods
• Mitski - Laurel Hell
• The Mountain Goats - Bleed Out
• Noah Kahan - Stick Season
• Pup - The Unraveling of PupTheBand
• Quiet Hollers - Forever Chemicals
• Say Sue Me - The Last Thing Left
• Shearwater - The Great Awakening
• Shilpa Ray - Portrait of a Lady
• Sorcha Richardson - Hot Fuss
• Starcrawler - She Said
• The Weeknd - Dawn FM
• Wet Leg - Wet Leg
• WILLOW - <COPINGMECHANISM>
• V/A - Stór agnarögn

My Favorite Albums of 2021

Top ten, ranked:

1. Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR
2. Five Iron Frenzy - Until This Shakes Apart
3. Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood
4. Weezer - OK Human / Van Weezer
5. The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
6. Black Fly - Black Fly 01
7. Lucero - When You Found Me
8. The Antlers - Green to Gold
9. Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
10. Grandbrothers - All the Unknown

Rest of the list, unranked:

Afterlight - Afterlight
Altın Gün - Yin
Balmorhea - The Wind
Black Country, New Road - For the First Time
Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs)
The Burning Sun - Marrow
Clever Girls - Constellations
Dean McPhee - Witch's Ladder
Delta Rae - The Dark
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - I Told You So
Dornenreich - Du wilde Liebe sei
Erik Cohen - Northern Soul
girl in red - if i could make it go quiet
Goat Girl - On All Fours
Herzel - Le Dernier Rempart
The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy
Korpiklaani - Jylhä
Lily Seabird - Beside Myself
Lorde - Solar Power
Lowland Hum - So Low
Marisa Anderson & William Tyler - Lost Futures
Midnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb
My Morning Jacket - My Morning Jacket
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - CARNAGE
Palberta - Palberta5000
Pale Waves - Who Am I?
Rose City Band - Earth Trip
Ryley Walker - Course in Fable
Saint Sister - Shere I Should End
Steve Earle & The Dukes - J.T.
Strand of Oaks - In Heaven
Talons - new nightmare
Vapour Theories - Celestial Scuzz
Whitehorse - Modern Love
Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights
ZSK - Ende der Welt

My Favorite Albums of 2020

 Top Ten

1. Bob Dylan - Rough & Rowdy Ways
2. The Killers - Imploding the Mirage
3. Emel Mathlouthi - The Tunis Diaries
4. Low Cut Connie - Private Lives
5. Ásgeir - Sátt
6. Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You
7. Brian Fallon - Local Honey
8. Wolfhand - The Devil Arrives
9. Amy Macdonald - The Human Demands
10. David Ford - Quarantine Singles

#11-50, Unranked

• A2VT - Twenty Infinity
• Agnes Obel - Myopia
• Anachronist - Stay Late
• Arborist - A Northern View
• Arbouretum - Let It All In
• Ben Patton - The Swan, For Instance
• Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman
• The Bubs - Cause a Fuss
• Community Gardens - Don't Sweat It
• Couchsleepers - Only When It's Dark
• Delta Rae - The Light
• Die Ärzte - Hell
• Don Bryant - You Make Me Feel
• EOB - Earth
• Francesca Blanchard - Make It Better
• Frazey Ford - U Kin B the Sun
• Gill Landry - Skeleton at the Banquet
• Gwenifer Raymond - Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain
• Isobel Campbell - There Is No Other…
• James Elkington - Ever-Roving Eye
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions
• Jónsi - Shiver
• Lady Gaga - Chromatica
• Lily Wade - 5teen
• Little Big Town - Nightfall
• Local H - Lifers
• Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels
• The Magnetic Fields - Quickies
• The Mountain Goats - Songs for Pierre Chuvin
• My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II
• Ren Harvieu - Revel in the Drama
• Rosie Carney - The Bends
• Sam Amidon - Sam Amidon
• Sigur Rós - Odin's Raven Magic
• Steve Earle & the Dukes - Ghosts of West Virginia
• V/A - AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex
• V/A - Saving for a Custom Van
• The War on Drugs - Live Drugs
• Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
• Wilsen - Ruiner

My Favorite Albums of 2019

#1: The National - I Am Easy to Find
#2: Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
#3: Rhiannon Giddens - There Is No Other
#4: Hallowell - Hallowell
#5: Strand of Oaks - Eraserland
#6: Nakane - You Will Not Die
#7: The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru the Passion
#8: Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
#9: Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
#10: Kristina Stykos - River of Light

Aldous Harding - Designer
Alex Lahey - The Best of Luck Club
Amy LaVere - Painting Blue
Bedouine - Bird Songs of a Killjoy
Bernard Fowler - Inside Out
Craig Finn - I Need a New War
Emel Mathlouthi - Everywhere We Looked Was Burning
Ernest - I'm Gonna Do It (Anyway)
Grace Potter - Daylight
Guster - Look Alive
Hand Habits - placeholder
Helium Horse Fly - Hollowed
Henry Jamison - Gloria Duplex
Jade Bird - Jade Bird
Jenn Champion - The Blue Album
Joseph - Good Luck, Kid
Josh Garrels - Chrysaline
Juliana Hatfield - Juliana Hatfield Sings the Police
Júniús Meyvant - Across the Borders
Kanye West - Jesus Is King
Lauren Jenkins - No Saint
Maggie Rogers - Heard It in a Past Life
Miriam Bernardo - Songs from the Well
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Colorado
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Nivhek - After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house
Olivia Jean - Night Owl
Pedro the Lion - Phoenix
The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
Reed Foehl - Lucky Enough
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Mettavolution
Sam Fender - Hypersonic Missiles
Strangled Darlings - American Pageant
Sunwatchers - Illegal Moves
Thea Gilmore - Small World Turning
Titus Andronicus - An Obelisk
The Well - Death and Consolation
Tom Pearo - I Am a Mountain
Wilco - Ode to Joy
William Tyler - Goes West