or, How To Get Away With Two "25 From 25" Albums Lists Whilst Pretending That Wasn't Your Intention All Along.
Looking back on 2025 so far, I think I bought more albums than ever, a mix of physical and digital. The latter was ably supported by a further year's subscription to the excellent Last Night From Glasgow label, which accounts for about a quarter of today's featured artists.
A few were purchased at merch stalls following a headline or support slot gig, others on the recommendation of others, including you lovely people out there in the blogging community.
So, I've got two lists, loosely separated into artists that I'm familiar with and already owned albums by, the second compiling artists who, regardless of whether they'd been around for ages or just started out, were new to me. So, it's a hodge podge of debut albums and artists that I really only delved into properly with their latest long player. I'm posting the first list today, the second on New Year's Eve.
There are a shed load that I just haven't got around to buying yet and I haven't yet succumbed to streaming so I can't sneak them in the technicality of having heard them. Apologies therefore include Pulp, Syd Minsky Sargeant, Death In Vegas, Mogwai and Water From Your Eyes, all of whom have released albums that I want to get (and said as much in previous posts), but who remain on my shopping list.
An honourable mention also to those that I did buy but didn't make onto either list because, well, I had to stop at 25, right? A tip of the hat then to Manic Street Preachers, The Supernaturals, Julian Cope, Gareth Sager and Scanner.
I've listed them alphabetically, rather than in order of greatness, but I may reveal my favourite at the end...if I can decide on one by the end of this post!
25 From 25 - Old Favourites
(click on the links to buy these albums...and more!)
1) Let The Horse Run Free / Rodeo Disco: 100 Poems
2) The Collapse Of Everything: Adrian Sherwood
3) Pinball Wanderer: Andy Bell
4) Dead Souls: Armory Show
5) Metalhorse / Mary And The Hyenas OST: Billy Nomates
6) Mumbo In The Jumbo: Davey Woodward
7) Wise Music In Dub: Dennis Bovell
8) Subconsciousology: Dot Allison
9) Lay Low: Eddie Chacon
10) Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation: Edwyn Collins
11) Rats In Paradise: Emily Breeze
12) Begging The Night To Take Hold: Emma Pollock
13) Twilight: Hifi Sean & David McAlmont
14) Songs For Nina And Johanna: James Yorkston & Friends
15) Junk System EP 1&2: Junk System
16) Lotus: Little Simz
17) New Town Ghosts: Mark Rae
18) Lake Deep Memory: Pye Corner Audio
19) Barb And Feather: Red Snapper
20) Strawberries: Robert Forster
21) International: Saint Etienne
22) MAD!: Sparks
23) Faultline: The Cowboy Mouth
24) moisturiser: Wet Leg
25) Home: Xan Tyler & Dusty Stray
I have loved each and every one of these albums but my #1 of 2025 has to be Billy Nomates.
Not just because Metalhorse is a fantastic album, taking her music to another level, but also because she somehow found the time to write, record and release another album. The soundtrack to Mary And The Hyenas may have been relatively overlooked compared to Metalhorse, but it's every bit an equal. Astonishing to think that Tor Maries was also releasing one-off songs in between both of these.
Finally getting to see Billy Nomates live in concert for the first time, with an excellent band and songs that took on a life of their own on stage was an unforgettable experience and the push over the line to secure my #1 in a year of varied but brilliant albums.
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