Indie/Alt’s 2025 Albums of the Year

Paige Fulkerson – Assistant Editor / Photographer / Writer

The Crux Deluxe by Djo

Following the release of The Crux earlier this year, Djo released The Crux Deluxe as a two-sided disc, doubling the number of songs fans received from the latter. With the same spunky alternative sounds from his previous two albums, Deluxe further develops Djo’s technical and lyrical compositions, introducing his sentiments in both playful metaphors and slower, piano-rooted songs, such as “Crux” and “It’s Over.” While Joe Keery has always been a popular actor, people are starting to recognize him for more than just his acting career and for his identity as a musician, which Deluxe expounds upon. His bandmates—who are not only his closest friends but also fellow members of Post Animal—bring a remarkable live energy and a cohesion throughout the album that only genuine friendship can create.

Honorable Mention: Wishbone by Conan Gray

Conan Gray has always been a heartbreakingly lyrical artist, but his powerhouse vocals really shine through on Wishbone. From the music video trio of the lead singles to the vinyl variants, each marking a symbol of luck, Gray nailed this one on the head, creating the perfect breakup songs you want to blast, whether you’ve been broken up with or not!

Bren Swogger – Founder / Editor / Writer

Virgin by Lorde

Ella has said she was inspired by Charli XCX’s BRAT — that raw, unhinged energy paired with deep vulnerability — and Virgin explores that same spirit through Lorde’s distinctly poetic lens. The result is something utterly unfiltered, sonically and visually. The album’s imagery alone sparked huge reactions: the cover featuring an X-ray showing her IUD, the insert close-up photo that launched “Lordeussy” into the cultural lexicon. But beyond the shock value, Virgin digs much deeper — into Lorde’s relationship with her body, her gender expression, and her experience simply existing as a human being. “It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl,” she sings on her collaboration with Charli XCX, “girl, so confusing.” Virgin takes that line seriously and pulls it apart. What does it even mean to be a girl? Who gets to define that? How much of it is performance, expectation, or projection?

Honorable Mention: Tsunami Sea by Spiritbox

Lorde may have my Album of the Year, but metal was absolutely my Genre of the Year, and nobody rocked me harder than Courtney LaPlante and metalcore juggernauts Spiritbox. “Soft Spine” became the inner scream echoing through my head during this deeply fucked-up year we all somehow survived. Though I missed them on tour in 2025, I did splurge on pit tickets for their 2026 run with Evanescence and Nova Twins. So… anyone wanna open the pit with me?

Honorable Mention: The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean

The Art of Loving marks Olivia Dean’s true breakout moment. The album is vibrant and confident, blending soulful grooves with heartfelt lyrics that explore love in all its forms. Tracks like “Nice to Each Other” and “Man I Need” showcase her growth as a songwriter and performer, while the lush production gives every song a warm, timeless feel. With a sold-out tour ahead and opening slots for Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia, and this album are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Emma Davis – Photographer

Mayhem by Lady Gaga

Mayhem feels like a combination of all of Gaga’s best eras — quintessential Gaga to me. She’s always been incredibly intentional with her tracklists and how she puts an album together, and this felt like more than just an album. It felt like a full project. The first time I listened, I was genuinely gagged. No skips after no skips after no skips. That said, it did take me a little while to fully get into the back half. A few songs toward the end weren’t immediate favorites — and while I don’t really like Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” is still a solid way to close the album. I’ve been a Gaga fan for over a decade, so I wasn’t expecting a flop, and she absolutely delivered. Standouts for me were “Perfect Celebrity,” which fully jump-scared me with the electric, guitar-heavy rock sound, and “Vanish Into You.” Hearing her walk into the crowd and sing that song to her fans during the Mayhem Ball really got me. Seeing Gaga in Vegas — my first out-of-state concert — was one of the most theatrical, incomparable shows I’ve ever experienced, made even more special by sharing it with one of my best friends I originally bonded with over Gaga in middle school.

Honorable Mention: K-Pop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack)

It didn’t take much convincing to get me to watch this — even though I don’t really like K-Pop. A friend pushed it, I watched the trailer, and I was intrigued. Then I actually watched it and… gagged isn’t the word. I was scalped. The music is INSANE. Huntr/x’s singing voices — EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI — absolutely eat, with EJAE producing every track in the film. Her vocals are unreal. From the first song, “How It’s Done,” it’s immediate girl-power, demon-slaying energy: bad bitches saving the world. The concept is weird, but the music is flawless — no notes. Every Huntr/x song is sung in tight three-part harmony, which is wildly impressive and somehow seamless, whether it’s a ballad like “Free” or something explosive like “Takedown.” Everyone’s obsessed with “Golden” (fair), but “How It’s Done” is a no-skip banger, and “What It Sounds Like” is my personal favorite. On top of that, the movie itself is a coming-of-age story about Rumi learning to stop hiding parts of herself — and the songs hit that emotional core perfectly. Grammy nominations? Completely deserved.

Megan Eppolito – Photographer / Writer

If You Asked for a Picture by Blondshell

If You Asked for a Picture by Blondshell is my favorite album of 2025 for its raw and powerful vocals and impactful lyrics. Her songs are meaningful, the kind to sing in the car at the top of your lungs. Blondshell is an amazing vocalist and songwriter, which makes her album a standout for 2025!

Honorable Mention: The Crux by Djo

The Crux by Djo is a fun album full of songs to get stuck in your head. My favorite song off the album is “Basic Being Basic,” a catchy song that is constantly on replay.

Honorable Mention: NEVER ENOUGH by Turnstile

Turnstile released an amazing album this year as well, blending genres and rocking the world of hardcore with NEVER ENOUGH!

Edie Olender – Photographer / Writer

I Can See The Future by Lelith Ross

This was a year of grieving what is still alive. Finishing my bachelors degree was marked by a feeling of grief for the day when my friends will move away for graduate studies or careers. I feel grief for my partner because when I’m wrinkled, what if they are not wrinkled beside me? I feel grief for my childhood, for my aging parents. Then Leith Ross’ I Can See The Future was released in September, and it felt like they had read my mind while recording that album. From “Grieving,” which explores the inseparability of love and grief, to “Terrified,” which embodies the paralyzing heaviness of existence, to “I Love Watching You Eat Dinner,” which brings my thoughts back to the sublimity of a simple moment, the album felt like a hug that calmed my constantly churning existential anxieties. The background instrumentals are playful and reminiscent of childhood while Ross’ voice is gentle and airy, altogether shaping a comforting soundspace.

Honorable Mention: Jellywish by Florist

My runner-up album is Florist’s Jellywish, which likewise explores topics of death and grief, but also the beauty in mundanity. With lyrics like “White rice and sweet potatoes / Something simple makes you so happy… You and our dog in the backyard / I can’t think of anything better,” it reminds me that even if we can’t understand why we are alive, it’s beautiful just to be alive.

Jessica Camil – Photographer

Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party by Haley Williams

This is the sound of an album I had been waiting for. As a longtime fan of Paramore and Haley Williams, I was genuinely excited about this project. Ego Death of a Bachelorette Party feels like a powerful statement from Williams. While Petals for Armor was already an impressive and intimate record, this album offers something more. The production is absolutely outstanding, and the songs are nuanced. Each of them reveals a different facet of who Williams is and what she believes in. It’s a deeply emotional record, but also a thoughtful and critical body of work. It feels real, authentic, and relatable in a time where authenticity can sometimes feel rare. Williams proves once again that she is an exceptional songwriter, and her craft feels truly transcendent here.

Honorable Mention: Burnout Days by Flipturn

Sara Jisr – Photographer

NEVER ENOUGH by Turnstile

I personally think that 2025 has been an exceptional and exciting year for music with both new and tenured artists leading the way, and it’s been rewarding as a fan to watch my long-time favourite artists get their flowers. As difficult as it was to pick only one, my 2025 album of the year is Never Enough by Turnstile. Turnstile have tested the waters in their 2021 album Glow On with what was once described to me as dreamy hardcore, and they’ve only gone and finessed their sound with Never Enough, introducing countless new people to hardcore (especially with songs like NEVER ENOUGH and BIRDS). Brendan Yates (vocals, keys, synth) and Pat McCrory (guitar) have directed Turnstile’s first visual album, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, a dreamy, carefully curated, thoughtfully designed film that leaves you wanting to mosh, smile, and simply stare in awe at the world they’ve built.

Honorable Mention: Essex Honey by Blood Orange

One of my most anticipated albums of the decade. Essex Honey was recorded after the passing of Dev Hynes’ mother and sounds like a peaceful blend of grief, nostalgia and catharsis, with collaborators and friends ranging from Lorde, Brendan Yates (Turnstile), Caroline Polachek & more. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this record performed live and it was one of the best shows I have ever been to.

Sydnie Kobza – Photographer

Mayhem by Lady Gaga

My favorite album of the year was Lady Gaga’s Mayhem. It felt like a return to her early days, and it so beautifully tells the story of where she’s at in life right now.

Honorable Mention: West End Girl by Lily Allen

I love West End Girl for its brutally honest storytelling that details the collapse of her marriage. It’s often lyrically heartbreaking, but musically upbeat and fun (my favorite combo).