‘I've never been so obsessed with a band': readers' best albums of 2025 so far

The Guardian

20-06-2025

Constellations for the Lonely is a fabulous return for Doves: textured, layered and, as ever, occupying a space and sound all their own. From the futuristic reflection of Renegade to the soulful Cold Dreaming to the thought provoking A Drop in the Ocean, and the devastating realisation of loss in Last Year's Man ... This is a band confronting the past, to channel hope and find redemption by coming through challenges that can only be overcome through genuine friendship. Steven, Wolverhampton
This is a timely release, coming mere months after the abhorrent anti-Puerto Rican 'floating island of garbage' comments by Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally. Bad Bunny's response at the time was fierce, rebuking all that was Trump, Republican, bigoted, and his first music since feels like a follow-up. In DTMF, Bunny refuses to cede space or stand down. Either from his position as a mainstay of the US mainstream music world or as a proud Puerto Rican. He crafts an album of one summer anthem after another, built to be listened to by everyone while unmistakably a product of the music of his home. Alex, Belfast
Justin Vernon is finally happy! And he sounds perhaps more enchanting as a man embracing joy as he did as a lone wanderer in the wintery woodlands of Wisconsin. The album opens on familiar ground with the Sable tracks, and these build beautifully until we reach Fable and Vernon exclaims: 'January ain't the whole world'. From there on the album is a gorgeous celebration of accepting love and happiness through some incredibly vibey and experimental songs in the Bon Iver signature. If Only I Could Wait, with Danielle Haim is a standout, alongside Walk Home, and the slow submergence into steady love through the album closers There's a Rhythm and Au Revoir is simply perfect. Pulkit, Manchester
I'm convinced there's a parallel universe somewhere in which guitar-and-drums-driven rock music still has mass mainstream appeal and Vukovi would deservedly be among the UK's biggest music stars. On this, their fourth album, the pop-metal leans towards the heavier side, and lyrically perhaps nothing sums up these songs' exploration of mental health struggles and self-doubt better than opening track This is My Life and My Trauma. But the melodies are strong and front woman Janine Shilstone's vocals are as fiercely defiant yet beautiful as ever, underpinned perfectly by energetic riffs and tight rhythmical playing from guitarist Hamish Reilly and drummer Martin Sharples-Johnston. John K, Birmingham
5ive by Davido gives me a new sense of hope and purpose. It helps me get on with my daily activities and to unwind in my free time. As a mum who's constantly busy caring for a newborn baby, I find listening helps me with my mental health and encourages me to enjoy life and live life to the fullest. The rhetoric in the album is out of this world. Paola Adeitan, Marlborough, Wiltshire
It's such a great commentary on modern times, with real lyrical depth added to a sort of doom-pop atmosphere. I stumbled upon them by chance and saw them at a tiny venue in the Netherlands – they're as great live as they are on their records. I can't comprehend how they're not world famous. Klavdija, Brussels, Belgium
I hadn't discovered the band before this album so it was an absolute treat to work through their back catalogue. I love the textures and layers of the music on this album. It's the perfect soundtrack to my evening walks in my local woods. There is a depth to the music that is spiritual and anything that moves me like this gets my attention. The opening track Waiting has a choral feel. It's sparse yet such a complete sound with beautiful vocals. It's not an upbeat album – far from it – but I find it incredibly uplifting. The production throughout is sublime. Ed Olhausen, High Wycombe
Absolutely every song on the album is worth a listen and suits an occasion in the day. Praying for Your Downfall and Massachusetts are cathartic for different reasons, while Let Me Be Wrong and I Don't Do Drugs are cheeky and honest. Overall, the album is so human – it touches many emotional experiences with compassion and clarity, and shows off the very best of musical commitment to songwriting, vocals, composition, guitar and production. Alice, Cambridge
A perfect storm of everything Sleep Token does best but distilled and sharpened. It's not a concept album, but feels like one. The lyrics have never been more deific but Vessel has never sounded more human. An incredible follow-up to a near-perfect album. I've never been as obsessed with a band as I am with Sleep Token. Ed, Southampton
As a young gay man, Marina (FKA Marina and the Diamonds) was the soundtrack to my teenage years. I adored her cult classic Electra Heart album and remember when she was the undisputed queen of Tumblr. She continued putting out great music, including her previous album, the fantastic and pleasingly political Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land. But now, riding a wave of 2010s nostalgia, Marina is back in the charts and at the top of her game. The whole album is delightfully camp and jam packed with Eurodisco-esque gay club bangers. I predict that, just as with Charli, Marina is heading for a comeback. Oliver, Manchester
It's a gorgeous slice of folk-pop that's swimming with gentle, lovely tunes. World's Worst Girlfriend is a great way in; Richardson, which features the warm tones of Cassandra Jenkins, has set up semi-permanent residence in my head. Tom Evershed, Melbourne, Australia
Time Indefinite is a powerful record and seemed to arrive at exactly the right time for me. Tyler finds and collects sounds, ranging from lo-fi and scratchy to pastoral and lush. Individually, they seem dissolute or even anxiety inducing, but by weaving in his own looping guitar it all builds towards something approaching harmony – or beauty. A bridge over troubled waters. Ed Yates, Knaresborough
It's a grand return to form with the standout tracks for me the Stone Roses-esque titled Elephant Clouds and the bullet train inspired, anthemic Hold It Down. But the whole LP (I continue to buy black gold from my local store) is a superb sonic renaissance that can match that of their Cool Britannia peers Pulp. Give it a spin, it's equally chilled and funky, a perfect way to 'escape the chaos'. Rudi Richter, Nuremberg, Germany
Sharon Van Etten's work has always been emotionally cathartic, both for her and for us listeners; but I've always felt, much as I've always enjoyed her previous work, that something was being held back; but no more. Working with her new band and collaborators, the Attachment Theory, she has finally been fully let loose as a singer and communicator, and the results are staggering, moving, uplifting and devastating by turns. Her shows in the spring brought the new record vividly to life, and breathed new vital life into her existing material. Clearly these are the collaborators that she has always needed, and this record will undoubtedly be reckoned as one of the finest releases this year, as it would be in any year. Luke Dixon, London