It's time! Lots of familiar labels here, some predictable picks (if you know our tastes from our reviews here), plus a handful of obscure revelations, a couple of things which overlapped on more than one list, and a few surprising omissions; Pulp didn't make any of the lists despite putting out a fine comeback record in 2025 is just one example of that. Where possible, there is a link to the site's review of the album, and most of these lists are in roughly chronological order by release date.
Kenixfan's Top 10 Albums of 2025
[In order of release date...]
1. Looking Back at the World by The Gentle Spring
2. Whispers in the Speech Machine by The Laughing Chimes
3. Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl
6. International by Saint Etienne
7. The Heat Warps by Modern Nature
10. Scarecrow II by The Telephone Numbers
* * * * *
Stan Cierlitsky's Top 10 Albums of 2025
[In order of release date...]
1. Rarely Do I Dream by Youth Lagoon
2. The Bad Fire by Mogwai
3. Tailing the Ghost by Mo Lowda & The Humble
4. Sable, Fable by Bon Iver
5. Sworn by The Mary Onettes
6. Get Sunk by Matt Berninger
7. Lucre by Dean Blunt and Elias Rønnenfelt
8. We Are Love by The Charlatans
9. I Wonder When They're Gonna Destroy Your Face by Prolapse
10. Maxi EP by The Wedding Present
* * * * *
Jay Mukherjee's Top 10 Albums of 2025
[In order of release date...]
1. Whispers in the Speech Machine by The Laughing Chimes
2. Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl
3. Letters to Ordinary Outsiders by Comet Gain
4. For All The World by The Black Watch
5. What Do You Do All Day? by Autocamper
6. Bright Nights by Allo Darlin'
8. Corner Coming Up by The Bats
9. Idlewild by Idlewild
* * * * *
Donzig's Top 10 Albums of 2025
[In order of release date...]
1. Looking Back at the World by The Gentle Spring
3. Just Beyond The Lights by The Perfect English Weather
4. Instant Holograms on Metal Film by Stereolab
5. The Only One and All The Others by Will Worden
6. Working to Design by Dunkie
7. Warsaw 480km by pôt-pot
8. We've Been to the Future by Twins in Colour
9. We Were Just Here by Just Mustard
10. Caitlin and Brent by Caitlin and Brent
[Photo of Saint Etienne: Ron Baker Ashton]