2025: Heading For The Light
by Jason Warburg
Across a year that’s been as knotty as a progressive rock jam in 13/8, music has both grounded and inspired over and over again, delivering joy, heartbreak, insight, and the kind of authenticity that makes audiences better humans for having experienced it. These moments, difficult as they were, also served as a reminder of what art is for: to provide illumination in even the darkest hours. Here are ten shining examples, plus several other points of light.
(NOTE: In the past I’ve given “Indie of the Year” and “Album Of The Year” awards, but with the majority of my picks this time out being indie artists, and so much high-quality material coming out this year, any sort of ranking game is out of the question for me. Every single one of these albums is a winner, and they’re presented here in the order in which I reviewed them.)
MY FAVORITES OF 2025
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HONORABLE MENTION (alpha by artist)
Ian M. Bailey – Lost In A Sound
If you enjoy The Byrds, in particular Gene Clark and Gram Parsons, there’s a solid chance you’ll dig Ian M. Bailey’s present-day reinterpretation of that classic sound.
Dim Gray – Shards
The Norwegian prog trio, now a quintet, delivered their best yet in Shards, which fuses spacious, cinematic tunes with urgent vocals and understated virtuosity.
Lilly Hiatt – Forever
Another engaging album from this “purveyor of smart, earthy, sharply witty Americana/roots-rock songs that blend and sift influences ranging from country-folk to New Wave.”
Izz – Collapse The Wave
The NY prog sextet returns with an album that “manifests the density of sound and at-times frenetic energy of Drama-era Yes,” with the added wrinkle of male and female lead vocals.
Karmakanic – Transmutation
An all-star convocation of ace progressive rock players led by Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Steve Hackett), it’s perhaps more impressive than engaging… but boy is it impressive.
Solstice - Clann
Thank you, Gregory Spawton... It was on the Big Big Train bandleader's enthusiastic recommendation that I delved into the neo-folk-prog of this ever-evolving British musical collective led by guitarist Andy Glass; it's vibrant music that radiates positivity.
Trolley – A Carnival of Grey & White
A strong summation of the Trolley sound, Carnival is a fervent, well-crafted blast of retrophile Sixties rock sounds spiced with dashes of New Wave, punk and psychedelia.
Dan Wilson – Good Night, Los Angeles
In which the Semisonic singer-songwriter-guitarist offers up a set of instrumental late-evening meditations, improvised on piano. Sublime and at times startlingly beautiful.
NOTABLE REISSUES, COMPILATIONS, BOX SETS & TRIBUTE ALBUMS
Beatles – Anthology 4
In which the most musically and culturally significant and influential band of the past 75 years tests the outer limits of its audience’s thirst for trivia and ephemera. (“Are we nearly there yet?”)
Big Big Train – Bard (2025 reissue)
The “lost” album that international proggers BBT once deleted from their catalog returns in a remixed reissue that reinforces its strong points while adding bonus tracks.
Buckingham Nicks – Buckingham Nicks
One of the most sought-after “lost albums” of the ’70s finally gets reissued, revealing the truth: it’s pretty mediocre, yet still essential listening for fans of either artist, not to mention that band they joined.
Drive-By Truckers – The Definitive Decoration Day
In which the Southern rockers revisit a classic album, giving it a fresh mix and master and adding a two-disc contemporaneous live show covering most of the then-new album.
Various Artists – Keep Me In Your Heart: The Songs Of Warren Zevon
In which a group of artists well known, unknown, and everywhere in between pay enthusiastic tribute to a songwriting hero they all share. "Keep Me In Your Heart is the perfect choice of a title for this lovely and loving collection, made by people who have done exactly that."
Wampeters – Well Wishes
A seven-CD set collecting the entire recorded output of the band Mark Doyon led in the '80s and '90s, whose core members became serial guests for his more recent vehicles Arms Of Kismet and Waterslide. Warm, witty, provocative and iconoclastic art-pop.
TALK TALK
Along with everything else, I managed to interview four of my favorite singer-songwriters this year. Woo-hoo! (And the next one is coming up.) Check out my conversations with:
LOOKING FORWARD TO:
Big Big Train – Woodcut
The first two singles from BBT’s forthcoming new studio release—the group’s first full-length narrative concept album—show tremendous promise, with the band’s drive, heart, intelligence, virtuosity, and versatility all on display.
Joe Jackson – Hope And Fury
Love the title, love the return to New Wave rock, love the enduring commitment to his craft. Joe is and always has been the real deal.
Bruce Springsteen – TBD
No word yet on what the title will be, when it’s coming out, or what style of music it explores. It’s The Boss and that’s enough to earn my interest.