Dustsucker’s 100 Best Albums of 2025 - Part II: 36-75

The second instalment of Dustsucker’s favourite albums of 2025, featuring numbers 36–75. Independent Bandcamp releases of all genres alongside some of the year’s bigger alternative releases.

36. Joy Moughanni - A Separation From Habit (Ruptured, LB)

Genre: Ambient / Experimental

Rating: ****

Remarkable, emotionally resonant sound art from Lebanon’s underground scene. “To Lose a Friend” brings me close to tears. Ruptured is a label I’ve been following closely for some time now.

37. Papir - IX (Stickman, DK)

Genre: Psych / Kraut / Post-Rock

Rating: ****

There’s a wonderfully hopeful, spring-like magic to this release… yet it was also absolutely perfect for that late-autumn sunlight over the first snow in Copenhagen the other day. As if Godspeed met early-80s U2 with a good dose of Motorpsycho (alongside the obvious psych and kraut inspirations, of course). There are some truly, truly beautiful tracks here, incredibly creative, meticulously crafted, with outstanding performances throughout. One of the top tier Danish acts.

38. Dennis Harte - Summer’s Over (Efficient Space, AU)

Genre: Psychedelic Folk

Rating: ****

Efficient Space is another absolutely essential label these days - and this is a truly fine and historically fascinating little release.

39. Nathan Salsburg - Ipsa Corpora (No Quarter, US)

Genre: American Primitivism

Rating: ****

Super lovely and beautiful American primitivism release from Salsburg.

40. Wishy - Planet Popstar (Winspear, US)

Genre: Indie Rock / Baggy / Experimental Pop

Rating: ****

This EP or mini-album has really grown on me - and so has the band Wishy as a whole.

41. David Ivan Neil - I Hope Yer Ok (Perpetual Doom, US)

Genre: Anti-Folk, Slacker-Rock

Rating: ****

Ah yes, one of those utterly lovely releases that just appear out of nowhere and don’t seem to belong to any particular place or moment in time. Those are almost my favourites.

42. Nuovo Testamento - Trouble (Discoteca Italia, US)

Genre: Italo House / Dance-Pop / Alternative Dance

Rating: ****

Anyone who’s secretly had a soft spot for many of the giant dance-pop hits of the ’90s - along with a touch of post-punk or darkwave affection - should fall head over heels for this release. Some of the most infectious, captivating and delightful alternative pop music today.

43. Forty Winks - Love is a Dog From Hell (Crafted Sounds, US)

Genre: Noise Pop / Indie Pop / Slacker Rock

Rating: ****

A buzzing, vibrant, wild and lively noise pop release from a band I have high expectations for.

44. Olli Aarni - Dimension Scrolling (Mondoj, FI)

Genre: Ambient / Experimental Electronic / Epic Collage

Rating: ****

45. The Young Mothers - Better If You Let It (Sonic Transmissions, NO/US)

Genre: Free Jazz, Experimental Rock

Rating: ****

One of the most inspiring jazz releases of the year. Might have deserved half a star more, time will tell.

46. Tu M’ - Monochromes Vol. 3 (LINE, IT)

Genre: Ambient / Drone

Rating: ****

Super, super strong and deeply sensitive ambient. At its best, it’s on par with the very finest (read: Stars of the Lid).

47. Brìghde Chaimbeul - Sunwise (tak:til, SCT)

Genre: Scottish Folk Music / Avant-Folk / Ambient

Rating: ****

Chaimbeul’s most consistent statement to date. Beautiful stuff.

48. Teppana Jänis & Arja Kastinen (Death is Not the End, FI)

Genre: Finnish Folk Music / Karelian Folk Music

Rating: ****

49. Klaus Lang / Wiener Symphoniker / Peter Rundel / Wolfgang Kogert: tönendes licht (Kairos, AT)

Genre: Modern Classical / Drone

Rating: ****

An incredibly ambitious, immersive long-form modern classical composition, “evoking the medieval understanding of light and sound as pathways to the divine”. Highly recommended (not on Bandcamp).

50. Barker - Stochastic Drift (Smalltown Supersound, UK/DE)

Genre: IDM / Ambient

Rating: ****

One of the best electronic releases of the year, blending ambient, progressive electronic, IDM, and elements of spiritual jazz into a superb, stylistically confident, beautiful record.

51. Maruja - Tír na nÓg (Music for Nations, UK)

Genre: Jazz / Post-Rock / Post-Punk

Rating: ****

Truly transcendent revolutionary stuff. I might even like this better than Pain to Power.

52. Laura Jurd - Rites & Revelations (New Soil, UK)

Genre: Jazz

Rating: ****

One of the best jazz albums of the year, blending a wide range of expressions, including elements of spiritual jazz, folk music, and at times something that feels closer to experimental noise-rock than jazz….. unique, personal, visionary, essential.

53. Hüsker Dü - 1985: The Miracle Year (Numero Group)

Genre: Punk / Post-Punk

Rating: ****

1985 really was a miracle year for Hüsker Dü.

54. Constant Follower - The Smile You Send Out Returns to You (Last Night from Glasgow, SCT)

Genre: Folk / Dream Pop / Slowcore

Rating: ***½

Another release that has really grown on me. A very special, warm, atmospheric, and embracing quality to this album…

55. forever ☆ - Second Gen Dream (A La Carte, US)

Genre: Shoegaze / Drum n Bass / Breakcore

Rating: ***½

A touch more accomplished in aesthetics than in memorable songwriting but when the aesthetics hit this perfectly, it’s easy to be forgiving…

56. 100%Wet - 100%Wet (Crunchy Frog, DK)

Genre: Shoegaze / Dream Pop / Alternative Dance / Avant-Pop

Rating: ***½

One of the strongest releases from Denmark this year. “Ether” and “Leave It” are particular highlights.

57. Kronos Quartet & Mary Kouyoumdjian - WITNESS (Phenotypic, US/AM)

Genre: Modern Classical / Spoken Word / Post-Minimalism

Rating: ***½

A deeply powerful and moving work about the horrors of war.

58. Possible Humans - Standing Around Alive (Hobbies Galore, AU)

Genre: Dolewave / Jangle Pop / Post-Punk

Rating: ***½

A bit like if Guided by Voices met The Bats. A couple of strong highlights on this record.

59. Pictureplane - Sex Distortion (Music Website, US)

Genre: Synth Pop / Darkwave

Rating: ***½

Pictureplane was one of those hip names you’d discover on the coolest blogs in the late 2000s (back when you still downloaded mp3s straight from the sites). Somewhat associated with witch house and the like. And imagine, fifteen years later, they’re releasing perhaps their finest album yet!

60. Fennesz - The Last Days of May (Longform Editions, AT)

Genre: Ambient / Drone

Rating: ***½

Classic Fennesz. Beautiful stuff.

61. Field Designer - Aesthetic Limitations (Amulet of Tears, LT)

Genre: Ambient / Drone / Tape

Rating: ***½

I don’t understand why there isn’t more attention around these Field Designer releases. To me, they stand among the most distinctive, aesthetically cohesive, texturally rich, meticulously crafted and otherworldly ambient works I’ve heard in years.

62. Mark William Lewis - Sparkles 22-24 (self-released, UK)

Genre: Slowcore / Dreampop

Rating: ***½

A collection of demos and related material from the great Lewis. It doesn’t sound quite as sharp as his self-titled release from earlier this year, but of course, a release like this naturally lends itself to experiment and exploration. Plenty of golden moments.

63. Bleary Eyed - Easy (Born Losers, US)

Genre: Dreampop / Noise-Rock / Shoegaze

Rating: ***½

I’m a huge fan of this band, and honestly thought this release would end up in my top ten of the year. But while there are a handful of truly strong highlights, there are unfortunately also a couple of songs that feel a bit “samey” - and I actually don’t think it’s necessarily the songs themselves, but perhaps the production and tracklist (a bit more wildness and variation would’ve been welcome). I’m open to the possibility that the album might grow on me, though - high expectations can sometimes get in the way of truly receiving an album with an open mind…

64. PYNKIE - Big Feeling (Devil Town Tapes, UK)

Genre: Indie Pop / Dream Pop

Rating: ***½

Devil Town Tapes (Leeds) is putting out some of the best under-the-radar indie releases these days, and this one’s another fine little gem.

65. Glint - Picture This (Deleted, US)

Genre: Ambient

Rating: ***½

Uplifting, luminous, spring-like ambient.

66. Healing - Demo (RoachLeg, US)

Genre: Post-Punk / Lo-Fi / Experimental Pop

Rating: ***½

An interesting lo-fi post-punk / experimental pop release, like a meeting between early Television Personalities, Young Marble Giants, and The Velvet Underground...

67. The Bats - Corner Coming Up (Flying Nun, NZ)

Genre: Kiwi / Indie Pop

Rating: ***½

The Bats are an old love of mine, and while this might not be their most consistent album in terms of quality, there are some strong highlights here.

68. No Joy - Bugland (Hand Drawn Dracula, CA)

Genre: Shoegaze / Dream Pop / Alternative Dance

Rating: ***½

A very interesting shoegaze/dreampop album, particularly in its use of contemporary electronic textures. There’s something about it that keeps drawing me back, and at the same time, something that never quite gives me what I’m looking for.

69. Florian T M Zeisig - A New Life (Stroom, DE)

Genre: Ambient / Jazz

Rating: ***½

One of the most satisfying ambient releases of the year. I love how cosmic jazz and ’70s new age have, in recent years, seeped into so many different musical expressions.

70. Bubbling Well - Bubbling Well (Part Time, DK)

Genre: Post-Punk / Indie Pop / Kiwi

Rating: ***½

Another strong Danish release this year from what is clearly Denmark’s finest jangle rock / indie pop band.

71. Cosmic Ear - Traces (We Jazz, SE)

Genre: Spiritual Jazz / Free Jazz

Rating: ***½

One of the finest jazz records of the year. There’s a genuine sense of freedom here, the kind you find on Don Cherry’s and McCoy Tyner’s best early-to-mid ’70s releases.

72. Verity Den - Wet Glass (Amish, US)

Genre: Post-Rock / Ambient / Indie Rock

Rating: ***½

A somewhat uneven release, but with some major highlights - like if Sonic Youth met Landing…

73. Spafford Campbell - Tomorrow Held (Real World, UK)

Genre: Chamber Folk / Post-Rock / Ambient

Rating: ***½

Meditative, atmospheric, delicate - yet at times also biting - contemporary chamber-folk music drawing on ambient, post-rock and modern classical.

74. 川 - Wind Comes to Me (self-released, JP)

Genre: Ambient / Experimental Electronic / Minimalism

Rating: ***½

A lovely and highly interesting surprise from a Japanese “ambient” artist I hadn’t heard of before (quite a bit of stylistic diversity throughout the album).

75. Boxset - Idle Rock (Devil Town Tapes, US/UK)

Genre: Indie Rock / Lo-Fi / Jangle

Rating: ***½

Yet another Devil Town Tapes release… One of my favourite DIY / lo-fi indie rock releases of the year, packed with really strong tracks.