Our Favorite Albums of 2025 So Far! (Part Two of Two)
R&R's Top Music Picks for 2025!
Our annual tradition for music lovers continues! Last week we showcased Part One of our favorite new albums from the first six months of the year. Now we wrap up the list with Part Two.
Enjoy the new music! And don’t forget to tell us in the comments what you’ve been listening to this year!
Our Favorite New Albums of 2025 So Far! (Part Two of Two)
(in alphabetical order by first name of artist/band)
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons: Live in Philadelphia
“Since the 1950s, Marshall Allen has been a vital member of the Sun Ra Arkestra and its dauntless leader since 1995. Founded in 2022, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons ensemble features Arkestra guitarist DMHOTEP alongside an all-star cast of rotating musicians … Lovingly culled, cut, and post-produced from nine live shows that traveled the spaceways.” [Source]
Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz, Afrofuturism
Favorite Track: “Slip Stream”
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (with Aron Goldin): Masabane
“[T]he debut solo recording by the sensational South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha. … Masabane here presents a varied programme including music from her homeland South Africa, as well as gospels and spirituals, lieder and chanson, and two of her operatic favourites.” [Source]
Genre: Classical, Opera
Favorite Track: “Gershwin: Summertime (From ‘Porgy and Bess’)”
Mdou Moctar: Tears of Injustice
“Mdou Moctar’s reimagining of his work presents a powerful counterpoint to the blistering original. Recorded in the wake of a political crisis that left the band stranded in the US, this acoustic version strips back the aggression, replacing it with raw grief. … [T]his version captures the sadness and sorrow of a nation caught in perpetual turmoil.” [Source]
Genre: Desert Blues, Psychedelic Rock, Tishoumaren Music
Favorite Track: “Funeral For Justice - Injustice Version”
The Nash Ensemble: Debussy: String Quartet & Sonatas
“[F]ew ensembles could respond with equal authority to the very varied demands made by this wonderful collection of Debussy’s chamber music. But then, few ensembles can stand comparison with the Nash, whose members continue to set the standards across a dauntingly wide repertoire.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Chamber Music
Favorite Track: “Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, CD 87 (Arr. Walter for Ensemble)”
Natalia Lafourcade: Cancionera
“[A] musical and visual manifesto … The songs move between original compositions and two reinterpretations of traditional Mexican repertoire, creating a continuous dialogue between the intimate and the collective, the ancient and the contemporary.” [Source]
Genre: Latin Folk, Ranchera, Sonidero, Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Track: “La Bruja - Versión Cancionera”
Orchestra of the Swan: Light and Shadow
“Featuring new arrangements of works by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman and Radiohead, this latest installment promises to take you on a compelling, imaginative journey – bridging musical genres such as jazz and electronics in their signature ‘Swan’ style.” [Source]
Genre: Contemporary Classical, Classical Crossover
Favorite Track: “Angelo Badalamenti: Twin Peaks Theme - Arr. for Orchestra by David Le Page”
Owls: Rare Birds
“[A] new take on a seemingly familiar form, inverting the string quartet with two cellos instead of two violins, while incorporating a playful approach to repertoire curation. … Owls’s unique instrumentation affords the ensemble the freedom to explore musical possibilities without the constraints of a traditional canon, resulting in an album that is as sonically distinctive as it is heartfelt.” [Source]
Genre: Contemporary Classical, String Quartet
Favorite Track: “François Couperin: Les Barricades Mystérieuses”
Patrick Wolf: Crying The Neck
“41-year-old multi- instrumentalist and composer Patrick Wolf has created a confident, uplifting and hopeful record inspired by the transfiguring power of grief at the death of his mother, folklore, the Kentish landscape, and the state of England.” [Source]
Genre: Alternative/Indie, Chamber Pop, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Track: “Jupiter”
Peter Doherty: Felt Better Alive
“Felt Better Alive is Peter Doherty’s first solo album in nine years and his most confident collection yet. Sprinkled with radiant playfulness, almost innocence at times, shot through with signature melodic nous, quirky poetic realism and his visual story-telling gifts.” [Source]
Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Acoustic Guitar, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Track: “Calvados”
Peter Murphy: Silver Shade
“Post-punk’s quintessential icon Peter Murphy has delivered Silver Shade, his universally-hailed latest album … Silver Shade has been revered as ‘a deliciously bubbling cauldron seasoned with ladles of Scott Walker melodrama and a generous pinch of Bowie-inspired balladry’ (Uncut) and ‘all high drama, dark figures and wild impulses.’ (Mojo)”. [Source]
Genre: Goth, Post-Punk, Alternative/Indie Rock
Favorite Track: “Swoon”
Public Enemy: Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025
“Public Enemy has returned with a blistering new surprise album, Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025, a defiant 12-track collection that fuses the group’s signature social commentary with a fresh dose of old-school fire. … After decades of speaking truth to power, Chuck D and Flavor Flav are showing no signs of retreat.” [Source]
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop
Favorite Track: “Ageism”
Raphaël Feuillâtre: Spanish Serenades
“Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre releases his album Spanish Serenades, on which he presents Spanish masterworks performed on the original 19th-century guitars of Albéniz, Solés, and Tárrega. The guitarist has established himself as one of the world’s leading guitar virtuosos. Yet given his young age he approaches these famous pieces from a fresh and passionate perspective.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Guitar, Chamber Music
Favorite Track: “Isaac Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47: V. Asturias. Leyenda (Transc. Feuillâtre for Guitar)”
Ringdown (Caroline Shaw & Danni Lee Parpan): Lady on the Bike
“The debut album from cinematic electro-pop duo Ringdown, featuring Danni Lee Parpan and Pulitzer and Grammy winner Caroline Shaw … Ringdown is a playground they can only access with each other, allowing them to create a singular style of pop music that feels otherworldly as it explores the spaces between electronic and acoustic sounds”. [Source]
Genre: Electro-Pop, Alternative/Indie, Orchestral Pop
Favorite Track: “Run”
Ron Carter, Florian Arbenz & Michael Arbenz: The Alpine Session
“Ron Carter is a legendary figure in jazz history, embodying the groovy, adventurous, and open-minded spirit of the genre like no one else among the living icons. … The six tracks on this recording showcase the individuality of Michael and Florian Arbenz’s playing, their deep reverence for jazz tradition, and the openness and youthful energy that Ron Carter brings to his music.” [Source]
Genre: Contemporary Jazz
Favorite Track: “It Don’t Mean a Thing”
Rubén Blades (with the Roberto Delgado Orchestra): Fotografías
“Known for his pivotal role in the New York Salsa revolution of the 1970s, Blades’ new album seamlessly blends classic Afro-Cuban rhythms with rock, jazz, and global influences. The new album showcases Blades’ compositional prowess with a collection of original songs, including heartfelt tributes to his past works and reinterpretations of classics.” [Source]
Genre: Latin Jazz, Salsa, Tango
Favorite Track: “Emigrantes”
Simin Tander: The Wind
“Drawing on the folklore and poetry of Afghanistan, Spain, Italy, England, and Norway … Tander’s unmistakable voice effortlessly transitions from dark and tender to playful and bold in 5 different languages, while [Björn] Meyer’s resonant basslines, [Samuel] Rohrer’s intricate grooves, and [Harpreet] Bansal’s raga-inspired violin lines add layers of texture and emotion.” [Source]
Genre: Global Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Afghan Folk
Favorite Track: “Meena”
Simon Rattle & the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra: Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (Live)
“The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and their Chief Conductor continue their survey of Mahler’s symphonies with this live recording of the Seventh Symphony, replete with characterful, vivid woodwind playing and gloriously majestic contributions from the trumpets.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Symphony
Favorite Track: “Mahler: Symphony No. 7: IV. Nachtmusik. Andante amoroso - Live”
Sinsuke Fujieda Group: Fukushima
“The album Fukushima by the Tokyo-based sextet led by saxophonist/flutist Sinsuke Fujieda is a truly timeless masterpiece that inherits the spirit of the modal/spiritual jazz of the 1970s while exquisitely blending classical, world music and [East Asian] elements.” [Source]
Genre: Spiritual Jazz, Modal Jazz, WaJazz, Global Fusion
Favorite Track: “Fukushima”
Skunk Anansie: The Painful Truth
“Celebrated for their fearless approach to addressing political and social issues, Skunk Anansie has broken significant racial and gender barriers in rock, using their platform to advocate for identity, equality, and activism. … [T]his latest release sees the four-piece once again pushing creative boundaries and solidifying their place as modern pioneers in the music world.” [Source]
Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Britrock, Alt Metal
Favorite Track: “An Artist Is An Artist”
Songhoy Blues: Héritage
“Héritage, the much-awaited new album by Songhoy Blues, sees one of Mali’s most lauded groups move into a more acoustic & creative re-imagining of the ‘desert blues’ style that has brought them global acclaim … It is infused with the ethereal sounds of various traditional instruments, all in the hands of great Malian masters”. [Source]
Genre: Desert Blues, Alternative Rock, Timbuktu Punk, Malian Traditional
Favorite Track: “Dagabi”
Sparks: Mad!
“Fifty years in and still impossible to pin down, Sparks return with MAD!, a razor-sharp, genre-hopping masterclass in pop absurdity and invention that proves the Mael brothers have absolutely no interest in slowing down.” [Source]
Genre: Electro-Pop, Art Rock, Synth Pop, Dance-Rock
Favorite Track: “JanSport Backpack”
Suzanne Vega: Flying with Angels
“For nearly four decades, Suzanne Vega has spun everyday realities into something shimmering, sharp, and surreal. Now, on Flying With Angels, her first full album of new songs in over a decade, the New York folk poet once again shows she’s operating on a different wavelength than the rest of us.” [Source]
Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
Favorite Track: “Witch”
Swans: Birthing
“The seventeenth album from Swans finds the legendary experimental rock group incorporating sounds spanning the entirety of their over-40-year career. … [Michael] Gira has said this album is going to be the band’s last album …. Nonetheless, it has some of the strongest songwriting since their return, serving as the best encore fans could ask for.” [Source]
Genre: Experimental Rock, Goth, Post-Punk, Apocalyptic Folk, Free Jazz, Industrial
Favorite Track: “Guardian Spirit”
Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin: Dvořák & Price: Piano Quintets
“The performance Florence Price’s Piano Quintet receives on this eagerly awaited new release from the Takács Quartet and Marc-André Hamelin would suggest that it can be only a matter of time before the work—rediscovered only in 2009—is as familiar and much-loved as the one by Dvořák with which it shares the album.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Chamber Music
Favorite Track: “Florence Beatrice Price: Piano Quintet in A Minor: III. Juba. Allegro”
Tanya Ekanayaka: 16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles
“Outstanding Sri Lankan composer and pianist Dr. Tanya Ekanayaka explores uncharted musical ground with Piano Isles, a splendid and moving 16-track album inspired by the unique biodiversity of sixteen Sri Lankan islets. Each piece beautifully reflects the identity of a specific isle, combining natural sounds with structured and spontaneous composition techniques.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Piano, South Asian Classical, Contemporary Classical
Favorite Track: “Cadence”
Timothy Ridout: Telemann - Bach - Britten – Shaw
“The fact that Timothy Ridout has recorded a whole album of music for unaccompanied viola before the age of thirty is a telling indication of the meteoric rise of this prodigious, boundary-pushing artist. … This program is a breathtaking ode to the viola over the centuries, played with all the fire of youth.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Viola
Favorite Track: “Benjamin Britten: Elegy for Solo Viola”
Tony Allen & La Boa: La Boa Meets Tony Allen
“[Tony] Allen’s recordings lay down the canvas upon which La BOA [La Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat] paints its own vision of Afrobeat … Exuding Caribbean beat, rolling with Pacific groove, and, above all, shaped by the rarefied air of the Andean melting pot that is Bogotá.” [Source]
Genre: Afrobeat, Afro-Colombian Funk, Latin Soul
Favorite Track: “Ale”
Tony Ann: 360°
“[P]iano virtuoso, multiplatinum songwriter, and social media sensation Tony Ann … advances creatively on 360°. Each song functions as a meditation on a different horoscope, encompassing 12 keys at different meters and tempos. … He employs the full range of the piano to evoke the singularity of these respective astrological signs.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Piano, Contemporary Classical
Favorite Track: “Virgo ‘The Perfectionist’”
Vincent Ségal & Stéphane Kerecki: Ponticello
“Vincent Ségal [cello] and Stéphane Kerecki [double bass] … share their passion for the great classics (Bach, Messiaen, Faure), jazz standards (Hampton Hawes, Scott LaFaro) and their own compositions, blending classical, jazz, South American and American folk influences.” [Source]
Genre: Classical-Jazz Fusion, Global Fusion, Contemporary Jazz
Favorite Track: “Épicéa”
Xhosa Cole: On A Modern Genius, Vol.1
“[S]axophonist Xhosa Cole and his quartet are establishing themselves as a major force on the British jazz scene with this bold interpretation of the work of Thelonious Monk. … In fact, the whole band almost takes it in turns to deconstruct Monk across these sprawling arrangements recorded in front of a live audience.” [Source]
Genre: Contemporary Jazz Saxophone, Post-Bop
Favorite Track: “Criss Cross/’Round Midnight/Brilliant Corners”
Yazz Ahmed: A Paradise In The Hold
“Yazz Ahmed, hailed as one of the most influential trumpet players of her generation. … A Paradise In The Hold is a bold fusion that reveals its riches more with each rewarding listen. ‘It’s another step in my evolution of making music,’ says Ahmed. ‘There’s so much beauty in Bahraini music. I hope this album gives people a flavour of how vibrant its culture is.’” [Source]
Genre: Global Jazz Fusion, Psychedelic Arabic Jazz, Bahraini Folk, Spiritual Jazz
Favorite Track: “She Stands On the Shore”
Yunchan Lim (with Marin Alsop & Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra): Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 (Live from the Van Cliburn Competition 2022)
“Decca Classics releases one of the most talked-about performances in recent classical music history: Lim’s electrifying interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, recorded live at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, when he was just 18 years old.” [Source]
Genre: Classical Piano Concerto
Favorite Track: “Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30: I. Allegro ma non tanto”
An impressive six months of music so far! Click here if you missed Part One.
For each album above, we’ve tried to link to multiple platforms to purchase or stream the music. We’ve done our best to follow the lead of the artists themselves, using the links they’ve provided through their official websites, record labels or social media. But regardless of how you to choose to listen, please PLEASE support your favorite musicians if you can afford it. Purchase their albums/merch directly via Bandcamp or their official sites, and pay to see them live in concert so they can afford to keep making the music we all love!
And if you’re interested in even more music recommendations, check out our articles and lists from previous years:
Our Favorite New Albums of 2024 So Far! — Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
Unwrapping 2023: Our Favorite Books, Music & Art of the Year!
Our Favorite New Albums of 2023 (So far!) - Part 1 of 2 / Part 2 of 2
Tell us in the comments what new music you’ve been enjoying this year. We’re always searching for new music from all genres to add to our listening queue!