Albums of the Year So Far 2025 | Rough Trade UK
The music that hit and the music you missed.
Welcome to our list celebrating some of the best music to hit the racks in the first six months of the year. As ever, selections are accompanied by reviews from staff across Rough Trade, taking in the charm and impact of individual new works of recorded art that have graced our record stores prominently so far in 2025. From the established returnee to the lauded newcomer, it’s music worth hearing, and hearing about.
Tell us what hit, or what we missed @roughtrade.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
Bon Iver
SABLE, fABLE
Justin Vernon is a real one. The latest Bon Iver record is yet another testament to that fact. Musically, the record slaps. Structurally simple by design, SABLE, fABLE tips its hat to every previous Bon Iver project; a microcosm for all of the feeling and sound that came before; a harmonious melting pot of different stages of Vernon through the years. It’s a record that champions the impact of a collaborative approach to songwriting, with delicious contributions from Mk.gee, Dijon and Danielle Haim, in amongst the usual circus of creative minds. The real magic is found though in what it stands for. Like much of what Bon Iver has created before, SABLE, fABLE stands as a guide to navigating the emodiversity we all access. SPEYSIDE is a reflective admission of guilt. FROM encourages patience in love. THERE’S A RHYTHM points to the persistence of truly living. It’s a tale of contemplation, spirit and ultimately love, which we could all do with a bit more of. Long live the Bon.
Laurie, Rough Trade Nottingham
Japanese Breakfast
For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women)
While Michelle Zauner’s sound continues to evolve with each release, For Melancholy Brunettes still holds onto that classic Japanese Breakfast core - emotional lyrics wrapped in dreamy, lush soundscapes. The album is full of her signature ethereal vocals that feel both intimate and otherworldly, making it perfect for getting lost in. Picture Window is one of my favourite tracks, a country bop made for belting out while driving with the windows rolled down. Zauner really knows how to write a catchy chorus that will get you in your feelings.
Robyn, Rough Trade Liverpool
Beirut
A Study of Losses
When I first heard A Study of Losses I was travelling home in the early evening, the sun was getting ready for bed and it was that magical moment during twilight where you are expecting to see fireflies and bats gliding too and fro. Beirut’s album is the perfect soundtrack to guide you from the night towards sleep…
Locks, Rough Trade East
girlpuppy
Sweetness
"Think I'm a mas-o-chisttttttttt" has been bouncing around my head ever since this record came out. Pure bedroom angst-pop for anyone that loves Forth Wanderers, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail etc. A healthy slice of Garbage-esque 90s guitar in the mix too. Bloody brilliant.
Adrian, Rough Trade Bristol
Jensen McRae
I Don't Know How But They Found Me!
That so many of Jensen McRae's songs craft universally relatable emotions only attests to her burgeoning career in affecting musical literature, I Don't Know How But They Found Me! an addictive page-turner of majestic proportions. Listen in earnest.
Emily, Head Office
Lambrini Girls
Who Let The Dogs Out
This release in the first week of January absolutely blew my head off. It is still my top album of the year so far! Nothing else has come close. With this release, Phoebe and Lily tackled themes of identity, injustice, sexual harassment, misogyny and body autonomy while utilising pure female rage, mixing it with punk rock energy to create an outstanding and sorely needed record to speak up about the injustice that women in the music industry face every day.
Emily, Rough Trade Liverpool
Jacob Alon
In Limerence
Discovering Jacob Alon’s debut In Limerence is a breath of fresh air, whilst simultaneously also feeling like you’ve stumbled upon a cult songwriter from the past. Delicate fingerpicking, fragmented drum machines and clicks provide a warm bed for Alon’s hyper-emotive timbre, achieving a fragility of tone reminiscent of Thom Yorke and an ethereal quality comparable with Jeff Buckley. The Dan Carey-produced Confession is probably the most beautifully arranged track on the album, a raw and revelatory exploration of Alon’s realisation of their queerness. Indie folk music is not my usual bag but this album really cut through for me.
Georgia, Head Office
HotWax
Hot Shock
Hastings’ HotWax released their riff-heavy debut Hot Shock in March and we immediately crowned it our Album of the Month. It’s hooky, howling and heavy with intent. It’s a breathless listen, unafraid to get messy - proof there’s still fresh fire in the post-punk furnace. Long may it burn.
Emily, Head Office
Djo
The Crux
Djo - actor Joe Keery’s musical alter ego - delivers his third album, the sound of an artist embracing weirdness while hitting you right in the feels. It’s a playful spin on the turntable, full of warped grooves and fervent hooks. Vibey and guaranteed to perk up your summer.
Emily, Head Office
Maribou State
Hallucinating Love
An emotive return from the UK electronic duo. Echoes of trip-hop, surf-rock inspired guitars, Balearic house conjuring a warm sundown ambience. An array of impressive guest vocals from Gaidaa, Andreya Triana and longtime collaborator Holly Walker. Funkier instrumentals tiptoe the album into summer, and tracks like Dance on the World teeter on taking us to the club.
Georgia, Head Office
yeule
Evangelic Girl is a Gun
No one balances grunge and softness like yeule. Evangelic Girl is a Gun is a continuation of the more cathartic sound yeule explored on her second album, softscars, still peppered with the jagged feedback loops and glitchy electronics established on debut Glitch Princess. My standout track is quite easily Tequila Coma, where the artist’s glitchy vocals lend themselves perfectly to trip-hop elements, a woozy, bluesy rhythmic beat to get lost in.
Georgia, Head Office
Lucy Dacus
Forever Is A Feeling
Forever is a Feeling is yet another feather in Lucy Dacus’ songwriting cap. The eloquent wisdom that has been evident since her debut has only grown, especially on standout tracks like 70s-twinged Most Wanted Man, or heart-wrenching closer Lost Time. Dacus’ fourth solo album is the perfect ode to the passage of time, while even the happiest moments have to end, she proves to us that it doesn’t mean happiness ends too. Forever is a feeling, and Dacus knows it well.
Celeste, Rough Trade West
Antony Szmierek
Service Station At The End Of The Universe
Spoken-word realism meets sly, melodic charm in a debut that’s sharply observed and totally endearing. Following some wonderful intimate stripped-back shows across our stores in February, the Manchester-based poet, writer and producer’s album continues to delight as a quietly thrilling new voice.
Georgia, Head Office
The Horrors
Night Life
When I heard The Horrors were releasing a new album, I tripped reaching for the old skinny jeans and fuzz pedal. But after hearing Night Life, I came back not just with those, but also a black military vest and a drum machine in tow. Night Life is a midnight sprint through industrial sleaze and synth-drenched noir. It’s brooding, yes, but also cheeky. Each track feels like a strobe-lit alleyway with several nods down adjacent shoegaze ginnels and a wink at the end. The Horrors haven’t just returned, they’ve glitched their way into new dimensions, snarling, stylish, and surprisingly fun.
Evan, Rough Trade Liverpool
Jason Isbell
Foxes In The Snow
I never thought that Isbell would top Southeastern but this may have. 11 songs written and recorded at the Electric Lady studio in five days with just his acoustic guitar and voice - no 400 Unit, nobody else to help him out. There is nowhere to hide, so the songs have to be flawless and these pretty much are; Jason Isbell is up there with Townes, Steve Earle, anybody really.
Nigel, Head Office
bdrmm
Microtonic
The most critically acclaimed artist to come from Hull since The Beautiful South returned with their hat trick album Microtonic, bringing a more electronic edge to their shoegaze roots with the backing of Mogwai’s Rock Action label. The layering and spatial awareness within the songwriting makes it one of those albums that sit so comfortably in your head when you delve in. The northeastern coastal town’s best exports continue to provide the goods, and by the looks of things, they’re already hard at work with the next offering!
Matt, Rough Trade East
Samia
Bloodless
Samia has arrived with her sophomore follow-up Bloodless. Every song gets its hooks into you and before long, you’re reaching for it every single time someone asks “what’s new that you recommend?”. Lead track Bovine Excision opens with a bang (that rhythm section push in the last chorus is just too good) and from there it just gets better and better. Clever lyrics are nestled throughout and the track list strikes the perfect balance between grunge-rock and tender singer songwriter moments. By the time you hit Sacred it’s Samia’s world and we’re just living in it, and I don’t think I’ve got to the end of this record once without contemplating playing it again right away.
Rachel, Rough Trade West
Loyle Carner
hopefully !
Carner has spent a decade crafting his career and returns with his fourth album hopefully !, a deeply personal and reflective project that explores fatherhood, legacy and the quiet hopes we carry through life. feel at home is introduced by his son's xylophone taps, clearly showing this album is a family affair in the deepest sense, focusing on fatherhood and shaped in real time by the sleepless poetry of parenthood. The heart of the album is in my mind, a track born from a moment, a simple scratch melody which never got replaced. Carner has discovered his own voice, unfiltered, tentative and radiating an understated beauty.
Laurie, Rough Trade East
Lorde
Virgin
It’s set to be another pop girl summer. Lorde takes the reins from Charli with an anthem-heavy return, a no-holds-barred exploration of identity and reclaiming power and independence (post-break-up). Promising her fans a more rugged approach, the album's standout singles also indicate Lorde’s signature bold sonics, a melancholic yet powerful pop sound, experimenting with different heights of emotional intensity.
Georgia, Rough Trade East
Little Simz
Lotus
Little Simz again proves herself to be one of the most consistent in the game. Lotus explores a darker and angrier narrative than previous records, making it a project that is simultaneously menacing and witty. Its captivating stories, exciting features and meticulously constructed instrumentals make for a unique listen.
Luke, Rough Trade East
FKA Twigs
EUSEXUA
EUSEXUA began as a fixation- fantasies conjured in the cold-tiled bathrooms of Prague clubs while Twigs was filming The Crow. It's a disco ball of fractured reflections: techno, garage, and drum and bass reimagined in unexpected pivots and unconventional forms. 90’s breakbeat of Girl Feels Good flutter into the turbulent, distorted Drums of Death - a stark, industrial interlude shaped with collaborator Koreless. Jarring vocal samples and rigid rhythms clash and coalesce, illuminating an unexpectedly hooky chorus. Standouts also include Striptease, where glacial delivery and assertive lyrics offer a flicker of the Magdalene era, now transfigured through EUSEXUA's dark, doomy synthscape and Perfect Stranger condenses the core of the record; a lust-drenched slice of ecstasy, turning any sweaty, strobe-lit club into an object of desire.
Julia, Rough Trade East
Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Forever Howlong signifies a departure from Black Country, New Road’s previous lineup and post-rock roots, instead paving into a baroque pop-prog territory that is equal parts enchanting and satisfying. The band has hit new musical heights with their most instrumentally ambitious and cohesive tracks to date, such as For the Cold Country, a track that perfectly encapsulates the band’s taste for acoustic balladry that blossoms into a triumphant crescendo. This is a staple dynamic throughout the record that just works. With exhilarating vocal interplay, harmonies and fantastical instrumentation, the band seamlessly weaves themes of nature, femininity and friendship into a stunning collection of stories to be shared and enjoyed on repeat.
Arthur, Warehouse
Doechii
Alligator Bites Never Heal
Grammy Award-winning album and second mixtape from Tampa, Florida’s very own Swamp Princess, Docehii, weaves in and out of golden era boom bap raps, to smooth R&B melodies on Alligator Bites Never Heal. Confronting intrusive thoughts, pressures of success and creative differences, the record’s cover is not only a reference to Minnie Riperton's 1975 album Adventures in Paradise, but it is also a personal reflection from Doechii stating, “This past year I've grappled with what felt like a relentless death roll in my life... A dance of drowning in my own vices, battling differences with my label and a creative numbness that broke me. [...] In my research about alligator attacks, I found that a common thread in each survivor was that the main reason they survived is because they fought back. This mixtape is my fight back. I am nobody's prey; I was born to be the predator”.
Kieran, Rough Trade East
HAIM
i quit
HAIM are back doing what they do best - serving up enough soft rock swag to soundtrack an endless summer. i quit is an effortlessly cool fourth outing brimming with breezy hooks, punchy pop lyricism and laid-back charm. If the allure of the HAIM sisterhood has somehow eluded you until now, then this record should coax you firmly into the fold.
Emily, Head Office
Mogwai
The Bad Fire
A cinematic soundscape layering together blends of melancholy and wonder. The album creates a journey that is vast, delicate, and “quietly” magnificent. The Bad Fire offers a playful experimentation of electronic textures, shimmering guitars, and an unpredictability of broody cosmic energy.
Bruce, Rough Trade East
Heartworms
Glutton For Punishment
An irresistibly stylish gothic post-punk outing from South London’s Heartworms. Jojo Orme’s haunted narration makes for a brooding and immersive album steeped in atmosphere and shadowy allure. Play it after dark.
Emily, Head Office
Oklou
Choke Enough
This has to be your go-to album this year. The French producer and artist creates a meticulously crafted record that blends dreamy ambient influences with buzzy, club-like textures, where each oscillation feels like a breath of honesty and every synth arpeggio bubbles with tension. Oklou's mind for experimental pop is infectious; her ability to fold all her influences into a unique, confident sonic world is something we're huge fans of here.
Mathilde, Head Office
Blondshell
If You Asked For A Picture
I can’t stop listening to this album! Blondshell really won me over with 2023’s self-titled debut and I’ve been singing her praises ever since. This record is much richer and more confident-sounding than her previous outing. Lyrically it’s blunt, self-aware and confessional. While tapping into that 90s/00s alt rock sound really works to highlight one of the best voices in alternative music right now.
Annabel, Rough Trade Nottingham
Divorce
Drive To Goldenhammer
Divorce’s Drive To Goldenhammer is a compelling debut that blends noise rock, post-punk, and art pop into a jagged and uneasy whole. Across eight tracks, the band moves between abrasive bursts, like Scratchcard and Sex & the Subterranean, and moments of drawn-out tension. Vocals shift from spoken word to snarling chants to eerie melody, always keeping you slightly off balance. Guitars crackle with distortion and rhythms twist underneath, giving each song a sense of motion and unease. It’s a chaotic and carefully constructed record that feels intense, deliberate, and completely its own.
Adam, Warehouse
Stereolab
Instant Holograms On Metal Film
With Instant Holograms On Metal Film, their first studio album in 15 years, Stereolab triumphantly burst back onto the scene. The record demonstrates a soaring trajectory for the two-piece, however with their idiosyncratic synths and light, airy vocal samples, the Stereolab sound remains whole and unflinching. It feels both nostalgic and somewhat futuristic, peppering the vivid, krautrock-influenced soundscape with reminiscences of the 60s, notably on the lead track Melodie is a Wound. Overall, Stereolab have made it clear that they remain a sonic force to be reckoned with, and that they are nowhere near finished yet.
Daisy, Rough Trade Nottingham
Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke
Tall Tales
Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke’s Tall Tales is a masterclass in subtlety and melody. It’s an album of immersive listening - emotionally loaded with an affecting vastness of sound. Every detail feels intentional, every silence speaks volumes. It’s a record that doesn’t shout but lingers, proof of two artists at the height of their creative intuition - crafting something deeply moving without ever overreaching.
Emily, Head Office
Cameron Winter
Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal is an album that I'd personally advise listening to more than once before giving an opinion. Upon first listen, this solo from the Goose-man himself may not land very symmetrically in the rotation of your daily spins or streams. However, after sitting with it for some time, the pin drops, the smoke clears, and suddenly the genius that is Cameron Winter's debut reveals itself. This unexpected and unconventional release from the 22-year-old successfully manages to solder together the feeling of something familiar yet also refreshing, sonically spanning so far afield from any of his previous accreditations. A customer said to me the other week, "Never mind BRAT summer; it's Cameron Winter summer," and I could not agree more.
Josh, Rough Trade Bristol
Pulp
More
Britpop’s presence is as ubiquitous as ever, with Oasis’ reunion on the horizon, Robbie Williams’ forthcoming offering and of course the return of Pulp. More offers us that perfect post-Britpop noir-melancholy, mature, funky at times, but still subversively theatrical. We’re so glad they're back.
Georgia, Head Office