PINE CONE JUICE

 

TOP TEN ALBUMS 2025

INTRO: I found 2025 to be a very focused year of music listening. Though I sampled well over one-hundred albums this year, those collections that really grabbed my attention (certainly all of the selections below) demanded a lion's share of my listening time. They were all—in their own unique ways—so intriguing and delivered such rewarding returns for close inspection, that I had a hard time walking away. This gathering probably also showcases the widest spread on my varying musical interests within modern rock and pop.

As I choose to do each year, I haven't assigned specific TOP TEN number placements for these albums. Given the right moment and particular mood, they each earned my highest attention and praise. If any of these slipped through your 2025 listening, I highly recommend you correct that wrong. Cheers and Happy New Year!


Ethel Cain / Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You

Credit where credit is due. Of all the artists that my daughter, June, has exposed me to, Ethel Cain—by far—has made the most impactful impression on me as a fully-formed artist. Purely and completely. Willoughby Tucker—Cain’s third album (and her second in 2025 alone)—is a true stunner. There is a deep organic undercurrent that moves through the entire collection. The songs are haunting and beautiful and the cinematic instrumentals add even more space to allow an unnerving sense of dread and longing. And in the standout “Fuck Me Eyes”, I don't know that I’ve ever heard a more perfectly pitched modern take on 80s essence. Just amazing! This is an absolutely meticulous expression of artistry, and it worked to put a sort of spell over me each time I listened, which was many. It should also be noted that Cain released two collections in 2025, with Perverts (her artistically challenging atmospheric opus second release) also earning her extra points. This is definitely a collection to be listened to in its entirety. Revel in all that makes it such a truly artistic musical experience. 

Pulp / More

Twenty-four years have passed since the last collection of new music by Pulp. Every single high expectation I had for this collection was not only matched - in most cases those were bested. This is English songwriting & performance of the highest order - neck and neck with the most sharply crafted work of Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson. That is to say, simply existing on a higher plane. “Spike Island” starts the album off so strongly that the high bar sets a challenge that the band is forced to answer—and they do, easily. “Grown Ups”—an almost modern reflection of the band’s iconic early single, “Common People”—delivers spot-on humor in perfect British dryness. And “Farmers Market” is moving and elegantly gorgeous in all of its baroque pop brilliance.Truly, there isn’t a single misstep to be found. More is a home run any way you come at it. In fact, I would call it the band’s finest collection thus far. This is a must-listen album. 

Lorde / Virgin

Lorde is another in a small (& unique) grouping of artists that have threaded the needle of thoroughly convincing both my daughter and I of their ample talents. Lorde's latest effort is a true powerhouse. Following the sun-warmed, laidback vibe of her previous collection, Solar Power, Lorde’s fourth album is a career-definer. Before I was even finished with my first full listen I could absolutely tell that Lorde had tapped into an elevated sense of sound and purpose - not unlike exceptional releases by Kate Bush and Madonna - The Sensual World and Ray Of Light, respectively. Lorde’s entire collection is fueled by a deep pulse, a driving heartbeat that summons both urgency and emotion. There isn’t any filler - every song is a complete treasure - and it is such a compelling listen that I kept it on constant rotation for quite a while. This is what artistic pop music is supposed to sound like. In fact, it just doesn’t get much better. 

Mother Mother / Nostalgia

This is a smart, sharp, clever, & artistically intriguing collection. Though I wouldn’t have previously called myself a devoted Mother Mother fan, I have enjoyed previous albums. However, I had never been so convincingly pulled in as I was with this album. There was an immediate reaction of pure admiration that only grew strong as I got to know the songs better. The collection certainly seems to be the best showcase of the group’s three vocal (one male, two female) approach. The more streamlined indie-rock arrangements work beautifully to provide each track with its own identity and character. On the musical-theater front, I was often reminded of one of my all-time favorites in a similar vein, the completely brilliant Hedwig & The Angry Inch. Lyrically they score big points throughout by both earning laughs and heartfelt connections. Hard to imagine the band outdoing themselves following such a stellar release, but I will be happy to continue listening to this one while I wait with high expectations.   

Mogwai / The Bad Fire

Admittedly, Mogwai delivers such a unique on-target sound that you can forgive them not constantly exploring strikingly new musical avenues in the name of staying the course and continuing to provide the goods. The (mostly) instrumental history of this band is that of atmospheric post-rock - with tendencies to lean into dense Sonic Youth/My Bloody Valentine distortion more than many of their likeminded contemporaries (Explosions In The Sky and Tortoise). However, on their latest release, the band expands—in extremely alluring ways—to a sound that incorporates their past foundations with new layers of cleverly palatable touches. As an overall collection, this album just keeps giving and giving. Not only did I stay fully engaged through the high number of listens I committed to, but that extra focus also returned exciting discoveries & deepened appreciation for the stellar tapestries of sound the band forged. 

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard / Phantom Island

This was a super entertaining album—the band’s 27th since their debut in 2012. And like the Mother Mother release, it not only pulled me in for lots of repeated listens, but returned the time with a reward of deeper respect for the material and arrangements. Nailing down this Australian band’s sound is tricky. This is made trickier as they have earned a reputation for regularly jumping genres - literally from garage-surf rock to heavy metal to psychedelic prog to synth-pop. Even on this album - which was recorded with a full orchestra and has a fairly uniformed classic rock sound - is an interesting blender of styles. Echoes of Bowie exist throughout, but it competes with The Who’s full-tilt Quadrophenia-era approaches, baroque pop, & modern psych-rock. In the end, it all makes for an expansive and wondrous journey. Lyrically, there is no missing the throughline of flight as a constant touchpoint subject. Escape of some sort through liftoff appears to be the goal, and through genuine humor and playfulness, the layer added to the overall effect is simply fantastic. There is really nothing about this collection that I don’t like and I offer this as a testament to how impressed I am: I will definitely be going back to make sure I haven’t missed any other gems in the band’s prolific output. 

Stereolab/ Instant Holograms On Metal Film
I love Stereolab so much, and over the past fifteen years have greatly missed hearing any new music from the group. I was certainly excited to hear about a new album, but entered with relatively controlled expectations. Boy, was I immediately relieved and impressed. The album is absolutely fantastic. Not only does it completely dial-in on the band’s unique mojo, but everything pulsates with new energy and liveliness. The retro sound of the future thing that Sterolab masters so efficiently is spot-on throughout. My favorite thing about the band is that they are so fun to listen to. There is a sincere playfulness in their choices and instrumentation - leveled by a natural element of ‘cool’ that keeps their sound from devolving. This is more than a strong return to form - it’s a glorious hope for more excellent music from these indie groundbreakers.

St Paul & The Broken Bones / St Paul & The Broken Bones

The southern-based retro soul ensemble blasts back with one of their strongest collections yet. Out of the gate, I was a fan of SP&TBB’s locked-in southern take on this sacred music, but the road between then and now hasn’t always been paved with gold—their last two releases were uneven and lackluster. The story behind this collection’s success is that the devil, indeed, is in the details. Whether folding-in expertly arranged horn section punches, exquisitely deft keyboard work or inspiring female, gospel-propelled backing vocals, the layers work to convince and engage—a must when competing on the high bar set by the classic soul that serves as inspiration. Better yet, the band has shared all of these effective nuggets of attention through their strongest collection of tracks thus far—each delivering comfort-food goodness. 

Arcade Fire / Pink Elephant

This is a fantastic album, and solidifies in my mind Arcade Fire’s status as one of the most artistically consistent ‘modern’ bands. Thematically, you wouldn’t need to be all that clued into the turbulence that band experienced since their last release to pick up the thread of discontent and recovery. The songs practically scream it out, but it does summon a through-line that makes the collection especially connected. Sonically, Co-Producer Daniel Lanois seems to have included the highly capable bag of tricks that helped him elevate projects he Produced with U2 and Peter Gabriel. Texture wins the day and the movement between the various feels displayed offers up a real feast for the ears. From the opening moody instrumental drone to the bombastic seven-minutes plus closer, this album travels a twisty road lined with new discoveries and familiar landmarks. The end result presents a lived-in maturity that makes it succeed on almost every level. Albums like this (and so many  others the band has released) are the building blocks for becoming a ‘classic rock’ act in time. 

Cheap Trick / All Washed Up

Cheap Trick was the first rock band I saw in concert, and their perfect blend of Beatle-worship and 70's AOR made me a loyal fan. With their new album—number twenty-one—nostalgia wins the day, but expertly delivered rock tracks certainly doesn’t hurt. The power-pop godfathers deliver not only their most successful & infectious collection since ‘82’s One On One, but they absolutely sound like they are having a blast doing so. That sense of fun—targeted to make sure the audience is invited to fully participate—has always been one of the band’s trademark calling cards. I found the quality of both the songs themselves & the ferocious joy they are attacked with to be top notch, and it was damn near impossible to get through the album without cracking a few smiles & cranking the volume up.