FR124: The Best Albums of 2025 So Far

Hothouse kosmische, slanted enchantments, illbient sex music, and more.

The dunes at Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon.

I spent the past two weeks in Oregon, traveling with my wife and daughter while we visited my mom, and while I’d hoped to publish this on July 1, family obligations got in the way. I’m not going to lie: Taking something close to an actual, no-computer vacation was seriously restorative. Thanks for sticking with me while I was offline.

Now, with no further ado: My 20 favorite albums of the first half of 2025, complete with blurbs.

Stay tuned next week for an overdue roundup of new and recent releases, plus the return of the Mixes Digest, and, following those, an epic interview with a beloved DJ and producer working in the overlap between club music, indie, and pop.

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This issue is for paying subscribers, as a thank you for your ongoing support. Paid subscriptions are $5 a month or $50 a year; perks include exclusive playlists for chilling and clubbing (now available on Deezer as well as Apple Music and Spotify); the ongoing Mixes Digest series; and full access to the archives, including interviews with Nick León, Anthony Naples, Penelope Trappes, Stephen Vitiello, Longform Editions head Andrew Khedoori, Seefeel’s Mark Clifford, and more.