Here’s a quick mid-year list of some early favorites of 2025. Not in any ranked order. Well half a dozen at the top might be the biggest favorites at this point and Hectorine the current AOTY, but it’s completely random after that. It’s also very early and there’s a ton of stuff I haven’t listened enough, so something that’s not here might easily be at the top of my AOTY list in December. Applies especially to the stuff that came out in the last month or so, but there’s a lot even from earlier of the year too that I just haven’t gotten around to yet. For example last year I don’t think I had Modem on the mid-year list and it still ended up being one of my favorite Finnish albums of the year. So this is just a snapshot and things might look a lot different in a few months. And actually I could just as well switch half of these right now and be just as happy with the list. But anyway, here’s a few albums that I’ve loved during the first half of 2025. There’s a Tidal / Spotify links at the bottom, if you into such things. Those have giant bubbling under sections too. The international one isn’t very up-to-date though and I’m sure some are missing from the Finnish one too. Those won’t stay as mid-year playlists though and I will eventually add more stuff to them.
FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2025 SO FAR
Hectorine – Arrow of Love (Take a Turn Records)
Will Stratton – Points of Origin (Bella Union / Ruination Record Co)
Lou Hazel – Riot of the Red (Superboco)
Fust – Big Ugly (Dear Life Records)
Kassi Valazza – From Newman Street (Loose Music / Fluff & Gravy Records)
Flora Hibberd – Swirl (22TWENTY)
Cici Arthur – Way Through (Western Vinyl)
The Delines – Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom (Decor Records)
Pearl Charles – Desert Queen (Taurus Rising Records / Last Night in Glasgow)
Colin Miller – Losin’ (Mtn. Laurel Recording Co)
Esther Rose – Want (New West Records)
Jerry David DeCicca – Cardiac Country
The Bird Calls – Melody Trail (Ruination Record Co)
Renny Conti – Renny Conti
Clara Mann – Rift (51state Conspiracy)
Josiah Flores – Doin’ Fine (Speakeasy Studios SF)
Nicole Hale – Some Kind of Longing
Juliet McConkey – Southern Front (Soggy Anvil Records)
Bells Larsen – Blurring Time (Royal Mountain Records)
Attention Bird Utopia – Best of Kings (here, here recordings)
Sharp Pins – You Have a Way (K recs / perennial)
Ken Pomeroy – Cruel Joke (Rounder)
Friendship – Caveman Wakes Up (Merge Records)
Will Johnson – Diamond City (Keeled Scales)
The Weather Station – Humanhood (Fat Possum Records)
Slow Motion Cowboys – Wolf of St. Elmo (Arkam Records)
Sunny War – Armageddon in a Summer Dress (New West Records)
King Hüsky – King Hüsky (Hype City Music)
The Burning Hell – Ghost Palace (BB*Island / You’ve Changed Records)
Jacksonport – Ting Ting (Ay Caramba Records)
FAVORITE FINNISH ALBUMS OF 2025 SO FAR
Rosettes – Lifestyles (Timmion Records)
Jolly Jumpers – Rural Slang (If Society)
Slack Bird – Jos emme saa tanssia (Harava Records)
Ne Lintuizet – Uusi huone (Texicalli Records)
ITE EEROLA – Kolmen päivän levy IV (Panama-levyt)
Jukka Nousiainen Trio – Jukka Nousiainen Trio (Jukan Musiikki)
Sonja Selene – Pimeä pää (Helmi Levyt)
Kismet – fast and sweet (Kammio Records / Tobold Piipari Records)
Ullalintulampi – Kannattelen (Panama-levyt)
The Moontwins – Night Times (Playground)
Lala Salama – Miltähän me näytettäis yhdessä (All That Plazz)
Ville Vuorenmaa – Päivä jolloin minusta tuli tipu (Salaluukku Records)
Jean Ramsay – Between the Briar and the Rose
Topi Saha – Öitä (Soit Se Silti)
Leipä – Auttaa jaksamaan (Tulli-levyt)
The Snake – Always Bites Back (Svart Records)
Ghost World – Armadillo Cafe (Svart Records)
Juovat – joo joo joo (Alakulttuuritalo)
Jani Matti Juhani – Laulaa Elvistä Suomeksi Vol.3 (Punaiset Levyt)
Lauri Kallio – Turtles, Cats and Other Creatures (Mustik Motel)
Albums playlist on Spotify
Albums playlist on Tidal
Finnish albums playlist on Spotify
Finnish albums playlist on Tidal
FAVORITE SONG OF 2025 SO FAR:
Hectorine – Is Love an Illusion? (Take a Turn Records)