Hope you lot had a Merry Christmas. Mouth foaming conservatives, the kind that gave you Brexit and other assorted exceedingly dull culture war dross, claim there’s a war on Christmas from both ends of the horseshoe alliance (dirty Muslims and the woke, etc), or something. In all seriousness, and somewhat related to the preamble in the previous sentence, when did Happy Christmas replace Merry Christmas? Or has it always been interchangeable, and I just never noticed?
Any road, enough rambling about inane shite. To the best songs of 2025. As I mentioned in last week’s album column consumption preferences for music, as the twenty first century develops, is largely digital and single track based. Albums are a secondary consideration, but being too cool for school, old school, or contrarian to some, I mostly consume albums. So, most of my selections come from albums I’ve listened to this year.
They’re in alphabetical order as per usual. Bandcamp links where possible. Wish (Deepest Dub) by Dangerous Goods was released in December of 2024, but I missed it and it makes up for/replaces “Four Hands” by Duval Timothy from the album You Go To The Middle Of Nothing. “Four Hands” would’ve made this list, but there’s no Bandcamp or Soundcloud link, YouTube video or, gnashes teeth, fucking Spotify or Apple Music download/sample link available. If it had, it would. I won’t belabour the point any further here, but I do believe that elitist scarcity encourages piracy. C’mon Mr Timothy (still feels odd) please give us a second vinyl run of this brilliant record with a digital download capability for the plebeians and other assorted wankers without a turntable.
So, 2026 eh? I’m pessimistic about the holistic forecast. At the very least it’ll be an interesting year ahead for music. Good night and good luck to all of you.
Burial – Comafields
From the EP “Comafields / Imaginary Festival”
Dangerous Goods – Wish (Deepest Dub)
From the single “Wish”
Decius – Queen of 14th Street
From the album “Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience)”
Duval Timothy – Sleep
From the album “Wishful Thinking”
FKA Twigs – Hard
From the album “Eusexua Afterglow”
Hugh B & The Modern Pop Ensemble – Brakhage
From the album “Live From 71”
Michael J. Blood – Space Be
From the album “Spaces In Between”
Orcutt Shelley Miller – An L.A. Funeral
From the album “Orcutt Shelley Miller”
Parlour Greens – West Memphis (Extended)
From the single “West Memphis”
Tortoise – Oganesson
From the single “Oganesson”
Wichita Lineman Was A Song I Once Heard 