Albums You May Have Missed in 2025
Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
It’s summer, it’s a million degrees, and it’s exactly halfway through 2025. You know what that means: it’s time for The Alt’s mid-year list! Rather than the traditional list of our favorite albums of the year, we’ve done things a little bit differently. Here at The Alt, we’re always looking to find you your new favorite band. In that spirit, our staff put together an alphabetical list of albums from the first six months of 2025 that we think deserve some more attention. It’s a big list–over 30 albums–and it spans a variety of genres and styles: emo, electropop, mathcore, alt-country, shoegaze, you name it. Whatever you’re looking for, you can find it here.
Abel – How to Get Away with Nothing
How to Get Away with Nothing is the perfect synthesis of the sounds Abel’s been cultivating over the past few years. Last year’s Dizzy Spell added some bite to the woozy slowcore that the Columbus, OH, indie rockers tapped into on their twin 2023 EPs; with How to Get Away with Nothing, they go farther down that rabbit hole. The lurching “Daunting” and “Six” are noisier and heavier than any of the band’s other songs to date, while a cut like “Loathe” calls back to Abel’s origins as a bedroom solo project. The band stretches their wings outward, too, into unexpected territory: “Talk” is built on beats and modulated vocals. As always, it all sounds great. – Zac Djamoos
acloudyskye – This Won’t Be the Last Time
Do you ever hear a song or album and immediately go “everyone needs to hear this”? That’s exactly how I felt about acloudyskye and his new album This Won’t Be the Last Time. Within a minute of hearing his Postal Service / Porter Robinsonesque opening to “Shoots,” I had sent it to five of my friends for immediate listening. After keeping this album on repeat since February and seeing him perform a (seemingly rare) set in New York at the end of May, I can confidently say acloudyskye is the next big thing, and you should start listening to now. – Kyle Musser
Addison Rae – Addison
I wasn’t on TikTok when Addison Rae was blowing up with dance trends, but instead discovered her when she joined Charli XCX’s NYC Boiler Room set for her feature on “von dutch.” I didn’t care much about her, to be honest—I thought she would be just another pop star that was on the internet, but being an adult is admitting when you’re wrong! Her debut album Addison is one of the most fun pop albums I’ve heard in a while. Upbeat, catchy, and nostalgic of Britney or Lana’s vocal runs, “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine” remain anthems for this summer. Addison Rae is one to keep your eye on. – Ryleigh Wann
Alien Boy – You Wanna Fade?
Alien Boy has written some absolutely incredible fuzzy rock (just ask Charli XCX), but You Wanna Fade? takes that to another level. “Changes” is Third Eye Blind worship done right (with a guitar solo). This is true set-it-and-forget-it music, speaking of getting faded. You will never want to change the dial and as the tracks meld together you realize this is a band that should be up there with top bands in the genre. I expect we will be seeing them more at year end time if they can attract some ears to give this a shot. Don’t be a part of the problem. – Henderson Cole
Anxious – Bambi
While recent music discourse may be focusing on a different band that came up in the east coast hardcore scene that made a decidedly not-very-hardcore record this year, the one I’m more focused on comes from Connecticut group Anxious. The quintet released their sophomore record Bambi this past February, and it’s some of the most subtly infectious rock music to come out this year. Despite leaning into poppier tropes on this record, Anxious’ wide, bombastic sound is never compromised. Lead single “Counting Sheep” is a prime example, with frontman Grady Allen transitions from his toned down singing voice into a gripping growl for the song’s chorus: “Are you sleeping off all the things that I said? / Counting sheep in sour, sweet indifference?” The record tackles the annoyance of push-and-pull relationships, consistent in its pull regardless of how far any given song strays from being “hardcore.” The sugary pop-rock sensibilities of a song like “Tell Me Why” or “Some Girls” never dull Bambi’s impact–the memorability of these songs does quite the opposite. – Leah Weinstein
Arranged in April – Rooted in Desire
It’s clear what emotion drives Arranged in April. On the San Antonio, TX, emo band’s debut album, they’re preoccupied with heartbreak. It presents itself in various ways throughout Rooted in Desire. Sometimes, as on “The Carelessness of Love,” the band is reflective: “I’ve already loved you through eternities,” mutters vocalist Emory over clean, soft arpeggios; sometimes, as on “For You I’ll Pull the Trigger,” they’re optimistic, the album’s catchiest hook being an outpouring of devotion: “Tell me it’s forever / tell me our hearts will be sewed together.” Usually, though, Arranged in April sound wounded, ready to lash out. There’s a ton of screamo in their DNA, not unlike a calmer take on the sounds popularized by ’90s bands like I Hate Myself or Edaline. Rooted in Desire is one of the fresher emo debuts of the year. There aren’t a ton of bands mining these specific influences (give or take stella or my point of you) and even fewer making it sound quite this exciting. – Zac Djamoos
Bartees Strange – Horror
If you’ve seen or heard anything about indie rocker Bartees Strange’s newest record, Horror, it is either the dark, macabre of its artwork or the many journalists who have hailed the album as a “confident take on the fears of lacking confidence.” Personally, it feels like his most actualized project to date. What I missed on Farm to Table, and what I somehow despise with other artists, is the garbled, tangential rock feel that authenticizes Strange for me in his work. He leans into everything that makes him stand out and amplifies it on Horror, taking the listener’s hand and steering them through this deep-house world of fear tied to relations and culture and mental processes. It’s everything that makes Bartees Strange unquestionably good at his craft. – Hope Ankney
Baths – Gut
“Some beauty just annihilates,” screams Will Wiesenfeld to conclude his first record as Baths since 2017, and boy does it ever. On Gut, Wiesenfeld finds new modes and viscerality, both in the instrumentation and how he’s using his voice. Moments both tender and brutal from the opening track “Eyewall,” where we find him singing “could you find the patience to listen to me, I’m asking” over a bouncy and off-kilter beat, injecting random squawks a la Avey Tare to the aforementioned closer–and to borrow a paraphrase, you don’t name a song “The Sound of a Blooming Flower” if it sucks–which absolutely rips in surprising, explosive ways. A far cry socially from 2010’s Cerulean, Gut has me as excited about Baths now as I was then. – Chris Favata
Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision
Whenever I hear a pop punk song, and think to myself, “I like this one–who is this?” it’s Beach Bunny. Her variety of tracks already in her short career put out three albums that each have hits, sneaky good B-sides, and experimentation into something new. There’s a lot of Panic at the Disco influence in Tunnel Vision, but also other icons like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, even Something Corporate, yet it never feels like an homage to music of the past or a rip of some it’s newer influences like Olivia Rodrigo and Soccer Mommy. Personally, I’d put “Clueless” as one of the best tracks of the year, and it’s not even near the most played. Bet on Beach Bunny: this is the real deal. – Henderson Cole
Blondshell – If You Asked for a Picture
After the wild success of her debut in 2023, Los Angeles-based indie rocker Blondshell flourishes further with If You Asked for a Picture. Even more likable than its predecessor, Sabrina Mae Tietelbaum focuses on her strengths as the record swaps out its pop singles for a rockier interior. The songs meander and grow legs of their own through her introspective lyricism, giving the listener something to savor long after the album’s over. It feels slower than Blondshell’s 2023 LP, which could hinder some who love the fast pace of the debut, but if given the chance If You Asked for a Picture itches a part of the brain that Blondshell just couldn’t. – Hope Ankney
The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
If you played me a random 15 second clip of I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven, there’s a chance I would hate it. In flashes it can sound like a cringe 2000s mall metalcore band. In flashes it sounds like the most overwrought work of Panic! at the Disco or latter day Fall Out Boy. Yet, as a whole, everything about this beautiful, cacophonous record feels like the grand image of one today’s most fiery and exciting bands. I love every second of it. And yeah, okay, I did kinda fuck with those scenester bands for a time so even those elements scratch an itch in the far recesses of my brain. I keep coming back to it week after week, singing along and jumping around, scrambling to buy tickets to fly to San Francisco because The Callous Daoboys aren’t coming to Seattle. It’s as challenging as it is familiar. As serious as it is fun. I will say this one and only positive thing about the Spotify algorithm: “Distracted by the Mona Lisa” is easily my most played track of the year so far and it still shows up first on my Recommended for Today list and, goddamnit, yeah I’m gonna listen to it again. – Chris Favata
Djo – The Crux
When Djo released Decide back in 2022, I didn’t believe anything Joe Keery released could top the electronic, synthy dream that record ended up being. Yet, with the release of The Crux, he’s seemingly found his groove in a sound that doesn’t entirely depart from that electronic base he’s built on. Instead, he blends it among the homage to post-punk bands like The Strokes, Talking Heads, and LCD Soundsystem. The result is a record that showcases Keery’s range and passion as an artist with an authentic, lively romp that feels just as fresh as it does nostalgic for those bands that took risks sonically and influenced Djo the most. – Hope Ankney
fallfiftyfeet – Counterfeit Recollections
The first thing you hear on Counterfeit Reflections is a disclaimer: “This album contains everything your parents hate, the government fears, and the church preaches against–enjoy.” On fallfiftyfeet’s sophomore album, the West Virginia trio’s mix of mathcore, metalcore, and post-hardcore is brutal enough to reignite a Satanic panic–and melodic enough to have even doubters singing along. “You want a war between good and evil / but there is no good and evil / it just is what it is,” Dave Wallace bellows on the title track, distilling the band’s worldview down to a single verse. As bleak as these songs may be, though, Counterfeit Recollections also contains the biggest hooks of fallfiftyfeet’s career. “Best Revenge,” “Horror Tropes,” and “For the Sake of Completion,” in particular, are astounding in the way they manage to be impossibly punishing and indelibly catchy all at once. The latter of these closes out the LP with one of its most memorable breakdowns and Wallace and buriedbutstillbreathing’s AJ Tartol bark, “with roses on my deathbed / you’ll feel me cold and distant.” If this is fallfiftyfeet at their coldest, what will even be left once they’ve fully warmed up? – Zac Djamoos
First Day Back – Forward
First Day Back’s debut album Forward sounds a lot like the second-wave emo revival of my dreams. Even the minimal pale blue cover with the inky black cursive looks like the kind of long-forgotten CD I probably would have gatekept when I was younger. But in 2025, what fun would that be? The Santa Cruz band blend emo, punk, and indie rock to deliver barely restrained vocals over catchy arrangements that brings a certain spark back to the genre. Even within their purely instrumental moments, they manage to communicate a sense of tenderness through guitar harmonics and the mournful lamentations of a violin. If Jejune and Braid joined forces, it would probably sound something like this, and it’s one of the most impressive debuts I’ve heard all year. – Loan Pham
girlpuppy – Sweetness
Becca Harvey, AKA Girlpuppy, has captured the alt-pop spunk of the Atlanta music scene over the years. With her sophomore album Sweetness, she’s grown significantly since her more scattered 2022 record When I’m Alone. Here, entangled in the chronicles of a breakup, one can hear Harvey blossom in her songwriting as she takes more risks sonically. The production value of Sweetness feels smoother as she jumps from alt-pop charm to indie-rock fuzz and, in some instances, even western twang. One wouldn’t think the genre-bending would be as cohesive as it is, but it showcases Girlpuppy’s flair and what could possibly be the beginning of the next head-turning artist in the alt-rock scene. – Hope Ankney
Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
This year, Seattle quintet Great Grandpa returned after five years of inactivity with their phenomenal third LP Patience, Moonbeam. The group had scrapped what was initially supposed to be their third album back in 2021, and reunited in 2023 after time away working on new jobs and projects. The result is the band’s best work to date, sonically and lyrically picking up where Four of Arrows left off and improving on every front. From the trip-hop influenced “Ephemera” and “Ladybug” to the sweeping orchestral euphoria of “Never Rest” and “Kid” and the use of leitmotif in “Emma” and “Doom,” it would feel dismissive to call Patience, Moonbeam anything other than a pure triumph. Tackling heartbreak and change in its many forms, the fluidity of the record mirrors the fluidity of both the experiences recounted and life writ large. Patience, Moonbeam is compositionally and sonically ambitious throughout, and it never fails to stick the landing. – Leah Weinstein
Home Is Where – hunting season
Country-folk meets emo in Home Is Where’s third album hunting season. I missed this record when it was released in May, but I’m glad I finally gave it a listen. It’s crunchy and earnest in the best ways, and I love the vocals paired with the songwriting here. Each word yelled is an earworm that made its way from my noggin to my heart. With every cry of a harmonica or pedal steel cut, there is something earned here. I want to drink the heat out of an afternoon to “reptile house” or “migration patterns” and sit in good company with hunting season on repeat. – Ryleigh Wann
Lorde – Virgin
Four years after Solar Power—which didn’t impress me much, although I deeply loved “Mood Ring”—Lorde is back. Virgin feels a step closer to the synth sounds and vulnerable storytelling in a way that is reminiscent of Melodrama, arguably one of the best records of all time. How do you deal with the pressure of releasing a new album after songs like “Supercut” or “Green Light”? Virgin responds to this notion of fame with what feels like a return to an old, familiar place. “Shapeshifter” is my favorite off the album, but “Current Affairs” feels the most honest, the most like a classic Lorde song. – Ryleigh Wann
LS Dunes – Violet
On their sophomore album Violet, LS Dunes are more present than ever. The rock quintet, who likely don’t need an introduction, sound naturally attuned to each other and their strengths come through more vividly here than on Past Lives. Where the previous album was charged with renewed determination, Violet masterfully pulls back and creates space within each song so that it seems to magically ebb and flow like tidal pulses. At the start of the album, Anthony Green’s isolated vocals feel like a prologue for what’s to come and it’s disarming in the genuine reverence that permeates the song and the entire album. It does more than rehash well-treaded territory and builds towards a hopeful future–one where they perhaps aren’t bound by the trappings of the past as the words “I’d unravel time / I’d rather die than go back to that / Hindsight is gold” rings out in true rebellion. – Loan Pham
The Maine – Dyed (2008-2023)
Surprise-dropped at the very beginning of the year, Dyed (2008-2023) was easy to overlook. There wasn’t much press associated with the release, yet it feels like an integral part of The Maine’s 18-year career. The ten-song tracklist documents the sonic and lyrical evolution of their band from 2008 to, well, 2023. Although, unlike other artists recently who have jumped on the Taylor Swift train of releasing vault tracks, this project doesn’t feel like a quick money grab. Instead, it’s an interesting jaunt into the Arizona rockers’ world and what’s kept them consistently successful as they’ve adapted to the changing music landscape for almost twenty years. Each song was written at the time of the album it is associated with, so Dyed (2008-2023) acts as a kind of auditory museum from the group’s neon-pop-punk roots to the western-inspired alt rock powerhouse they’ve steadily become. Cool stuff. – Hope Ankney
McLusky – The World Is Still Here and So Are We
When McLusky broke up in the mid 2000’s, it was like the end of Rage Against the Machine for teenage me. The Welsh band was political, unafraid, and messy in a way that rock bands of the time definitely were not. This little seen UK band that were often lyrically spitting on commercial success were at the same time getting videos like this one for “Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues” on cable TV in the US. It definitely rattled something loose in my developing brain, and then they broke up and did their own thing for twenty years. Now they’re back with a new album The World Is Still Here and So Are We–a title they back up. The rest of punk has certainly caught up to them a bit since their absence, but still this is still the good stuff: thoughtful refrains, sarcastic lyrics, and a few dopey lines. Seemingly no desire to have a mainstream hit. If you’re a McLusky fan you already know that means they are back. Thank god, the world could use their help. – Henderson Cole
Mei Semones – Animaru
Brooklyn’s Mei Semones is a truly singular artist, and her debut record Animaru proves that in spades. The Berklee College of Music grad takes her unbelievable chops as both a guitarist and composer to make some of the most engaging, compelling music released this year. Her unique blend of jazz, indie pop and J-pop sees Semones weave seamlessly in and out of hooks in both Japanese and English that are equally memorable regardless of which language you’re more privy to. Highlights like “I can do what I want” and “Dumb Feeling” play off of their earwormy musical conceits in away that always feels musically inventive rather than derivative or repetitive. Having seen these songs live only further confirmed that notion, with her similarly classically trained band carrying just as much weight in these arrangements as Semones herself. There is truly nobody doing it like Semones, and the sweetness of her music both sonically and lyrically is something you can’t help but root for. – Leah Weinstein
Midcard – Sick
For those of us that simply can’t get enough of that catchy emo-tinged indie rock, Texas quartet Midcard serve up five fresh tracks that feel totally at home. Their new EP Sick is gruff and earnest. It’s anthemic. You’ll be singing along to the lead single and title track in no time: “Don’t be stupid / I won’t go where I’m not wanted.” The song continues: “Write me a song motherfucker / Come and hit me all you got / I wanna get nervous at the first note / I wanna be proud of all the heat you brought.” These guys have all the trappings that make this kind of music hit, replete with a could-be iconic album cover if they start picking up some steam, and they should. Because, I’d argue, they’re already delivering on that initiative. – Chris Favata
Miynt – Rain Money Dogs
Swedish psych-pop artist Miynt reaches new heights with her third album, Rain Money Dogs. Melding some of her project’s earlier clear synth influences with thoughtful instrumentation (“Öppna brev” is a standout and entirely instrumental), Fredrika Ribbing created one of the most complete albums of 2025, front to back. – Dilpreet Raju
Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs
When any artist leaves for an extended period of time and comes back, there’s always a sliver of doubt masked by my excitement. Both of those feelings were amplified by a hundred with the return of Moving Mountains. Their last album was released twelve years ago and is my favorite album ever written. It’s carried me through multiple breakups, getting kicked out of my childhood home, a decade of job changes, and it’s the reason I am the guitar player I am today. The moment I heard the opening to the band’s comeback single “Ghosts” I knew we were going to be alright. Every track emulates the “things are going to be okay” feeling of reaching the back half of your twenties. When the feeling of “what am I doing with my life” eventually plateaus and you can focus on what really matters–cherishing those in your life that you care about. If Pruning of the Lower Limbs is Moving Mountains’ swan song, then it is a beautiful note to go out on. – Kyle Musser
Olivia’s World – Greedy & gorgeous
There’s no such thing as effortlessness. The ease with which Alice Rezende pulls together melodies, sweetly harmonized refrains built from a few simple words, is a testament to the time spent honing their craft. Since their self-titled EP in 2019, Rezende and Olivia’s World have been building up to the crunchy alt-pop perfection of Greedy & gorgeous, their debut full-length. Sand-crusted surf riffs, decadent vocal arrangements, honks of sax, twee and fuzz, humor and more all collide in a sharp batch of great songs, delivered with self-awareness and verve. – Aly Eleanor
Parallel – Cold Beauty
Parallel is a shoegaze band, and the songs on their debut EP Cold Beauty can get quite heavy. Wait, wait, don’t close the tab yet! The Long Beach band has a few tricks up their sleeve, and the guitars on here sound excellent–they’re massive and all-encompassing, like a wave bearing down on and enveloping you. But Parallel does more than just that; the riffs that fade into focus at the end of “Craving” are nice reminders that shoegaze originally grew out of the psychedelic rock scene, and “Cover Your Eyes” is more dynamic than most of their peers’ LPs. – Zac Djamoos
Pigeon Pit – crazy arms
Look, I’m getting tired of the artistic choice to do all lowercase titles, but yeah, guess what, I’ve got two of them on this list (see below). On crazy arms, Pigeon Pit masterfully meld folk punk with honky tonk, equally fit for a basement as a front porch. From the jump we’re treated to some of frontwoman Lomes Oleander’s most delightfully sardonic lines: “You said, ‘just find what you love and do it / You’ll never work a day in your life’ / So I did what I loved and I got fired.” The six-piece Olympia outfit then manages to bring back Radiator Hospital from the dead and execute an excellent cover of one or two Japanther songs–and that’s just the first quarter of the album. Moshing to banjo and fiddle feels so right. – Chris Favata
PinkPantheress – Fancy That
PinkPantheress beats make me feel like I am living in the world of Sonic. Everything is bumpin’ and if I stay still, I will die. She matches this next level electro production with semi-rapped bubbly autotuned voices that accentuate that glittery soundscape she is living in on Fancy That. “Tonight” is a hit, but it also shows her ability to pop in and out of the world she has created, and the potential for even more innovation. I still feel we haven’t seen the level 99 version of PinkPantheress, but only because I think she has potential to be an album of the year level artist and Grammy award winning producer. All that said, I’m having fun dancing right where we are now. – Henderson Cole
quickly, quickly – I Heard That Noise
Graham Jonson’s project quickly, quickly has been consistently evolving since he debuted it nearly a decade ago. Four albums in, the fruits of his labor are finally being realized. Once known for making lo-fi beats on his laptop, quickly, quickly has come out of the woodwork with a gorgeous, touching, indie folk record. With 2017 track “Getsomerest/sleepwell” passively paying his rent for years (currently just shy of 67 million streams), Jonson had the liberty to experiment with sonic manipulation and audio engineering for years, particularly getting into the weeds of tape/analog recording. Equally adventurous and cozy sonic landscapes inhabit all 42 minutes of I Heard That Noise’s runtime, and it could not be a more welcome change of pace. The artistic vision on songs like “This Room” and “I Punched Through the Wall” is impeccably vivid, but never in a way that it feels overcooked or self-indulgent. Jonson says what he needs to say, and leaves the music to speak for itself. I Heard That Noise is the result of someone that’s confidently a master at their craft, and the record that Jonson was truly meant to make. – Leah Weinstein
Sam Fender – People Watching
Heartland rock has always been Sam Fender’s bag. Although the British singer has painted himself in coats of harder rock, his sweet spot always resides in the classic Americana influence. On People Watching, his first album since 2021, Fender spotlights those roots through 11 tracks that, well, people watch. With his signature storytelling, he observes those around him, namely his late mentor Annie Orwin, atop a smooth production that delivers a meaningful project only amplifying his evolution since Seventeen Going Under. Although some might miss the raw energy that permeates that record, People Watching proves that Fender can still carry the grit and emotion that captured audiences and made him such a refreshing face in the rock scene all those years ago. – Hope Ankney
Samia – Bloodless
She was already successful, but until last summer I felt Samia seemed like an artist that hadn’t grown into her potential. She wasn’t quite a rock star or a pop star, but she wrote some of the best poppy rock songs of the decade on the last few records. I wondered if it would peak here or if it would all line up. My worries began to fade when I saw her perform live last year, as she was already seeming more confident, both on stage and as a vocalist. On her new LP Bloodless, she has shown even more improvement and is able to meld her rock and pop influences more consistently, and the pure songwriting talent has only grown. Bloodless might not top the charts right away, but it’s established Samia as a genuine indie rock songwriter, and someone that others should be learning from, not the other way around. – Henderson Cole
saoirse dream – saoirse dream
Catherine Egbert’s newfangled “wizard sleaze” is as intriguing as it sounds on saoirse dream. The emo-chiptune-glam-hyper-power-pop-whothefuckknows reinvention of saorise dream wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, but resulted in a collection of songs that were not only more earnest and vulnerable, but catchy as hell. Find me going ballistic in the grocery store listening to “catherine never broke again” where we find our protagonist ringing in prosciutto as bananas at self checkout (she and I are both the protagonist) or shouting along with the gang vocals on closing track “something cool” which lowkey might just be the best Jeff Rosenstock song this side of 2020. – Chris Favata
Type Foundry – Type Foundry
At the beginning of the year, Type Foundry quietly released their debut self-titled album. Written by Luke Buneo, it takes on a dream-like quality with its steady pacing, hazy guitar layers, and glittering synths. When I first heard “Newfangled” back in January, I remember it woke me from my sleep as my fiancé was listening to it in our living room. The weighty atmosphere coupled with ethereal loops and bright flourishes are mesmerizing and Buneo delves into the alternative rock / shoegaze current with ease and understanding. – Loan Pham
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