2025 was a ridiculously good year for music laser targeted at my tastes. New albums from some perennial favourites and some new artists I expect will stick around. I had a particularly good time exploring some Australian music and finding some utter gems.
These are some of the musical works that I found myself listening to over and over this year.
Skeletá - Ghost
I’ve enjoyed Ghost for a long time, absolutely cemented as an all-timer when I saw them perform at a music festival in Paris years ago. They’re just so much fun as a not-too-serious, melodramatic metal act. Skeletá is full of memorable tracks that go from the feeling of hymns in a monstrous Catholic church to songs about one’s ‘love rockets’, to some thoughtful ruminations on death and the impact we have on those around us in life. This album rules.
Even In Arcadia - Sleep Token
2025 was Sleep Token’s year. It seems like they went from bubbling under the surface and deeply loved by fans of long, proggy experimental music to the realm of Popular Music. There was even an episode of Switched On Pop about the album. It probably helped that the band experimented with some more poppy sounds this time around, but it made for an album that is unpredictable the first time through, and continually engaging even as it becomes familiar.
I Love My Computer - Ninajirachi
My discovery of this album is thanks to my good friend Bibby, who mentioned it in an offhand comment during a round of Fortnite. He heard a track from it on Triple J and told me something like “I think you might vibe with this song”. Vibe with it I did. Despite first finding it in August, this album became my most listened to of the entire year. It’s just incredibly good. It’s full of new takes on trance and electronic sounds of the early 2000s and some intensely personal stories about growing up in the digital age. The whole thing is brilliant but Infohazard might be my favourite of all.
Patchwork - Suzi
After making an ill-informed Bluesky post bemoaning the lack of local music These Days, I was set straight by people kindly pointing out that there’s plenty of good local music if I look for it. I encountered Suzi for the first time as a support act for The Wonder Years but she cemented her place as a favourite once I found Patchwork. Folky, intensely personal relatable rock that’s both powerful and catchy. Check out Centrelink Summer and One Way Ticket.
TDJ - TDJ
This year really hit with some early-2000s inspired trance/club music, and TDJ’s self titled was a big reason for that. I think this one popped up for me thanks to a feature on one of the tracks from Hannah Diamond (which is certainly a standout track) but I’m glad to have discovered TDJ as a result. Maybe in a different life I’d have been a club freak.
Some others I couldn’t fail to mention
MAYHEM - Lady Gaga
Gaga falls back onto some reliable Gaga tropes, but they’re reliable for a reason. This one soundtracked my January.
TOY - Dear Seattle
A result of my intentional search for Aussie music, this one has moments that fill a Polar Bear Club shaped hole in my life.
Louder Please - Rose Gray
She featured on a great Kesha track, which led me to this album of London club life.
I’ve loved this year music-wise. It’s been a great mix of nostalgic sounds and a push to explore music more than I had been. I hope you find something to love here!