The Best Albums of May 2025
This month, 9 great records with a small band focus, an interview you missed, and another listening party announcement. Plus, how do you filter out new music before listening?
I know, I know — the absolute cheek of me still trying to make May albums happen on the first new music Friday in June Pulp’s new album release day. Just go with it.
OTHER STUFF INSIDE:
1) My interview with
2) The next pre-album release listening party (Saturday June 22nd with NZ post-punk band Ringlets)
But you can skip the noise and get straight to the music, if you feel like it.
I’ve learned a lot since starting a Discord server for this newsletter.
First, when it comes to music nerdery and music obsession, I am not even approaching the top of the scale. God bless this community, because you guys have broadened my horizons beyond what I ever thought possible.
Second, the more people listen to new music, the more rules they seem to have for themselves when it comes to music discovery.
These Best Of posts always send me into a tailspin, so I wanted to know:
And everyone’s method of limiting the madness was different.
What’s your internal rubric for taking on new bands?
As for me? My brain is mostly full of “Turkey in the Straw” on constant loop now that the ice cream trucks have resumed their summer reign over Philadelphia. So my music filtration system is not particularly well calibrated. I hope my monthly picks haven’t suffered for it.
If you think I went overboard editing out your favorites, you’re in luck — I made another month-specific playlist for May.1
A reminder that these album roundups past the first 3 are for paid subscribers, but I have an ongoing playlist of 2025 tracks that is free to all.
Playlist: Best Tracks of 2025
Also on Amazon, Apple, Tidal, and YouTube
Save the Date - Ringlets Listening Party
Saturday June 21st at 5pm Eastern
Free subscribers, get your ticket below
The Best Albums of May 2025
FINALLY WE ARE HERE.
I don’t play favorites amongst my favorites; albums are listed alphabetically.
Additionally, this month I specifically excluded big names. You won’t see Aesop Rock, billy woods, Car Seat Headrest, Mt. Joy, or Stereolab, for instance, even though I loved them all.
1. Deradoorian - Ready for Heaven
Skewing closer to her work with Kate NV than with Dirty Projectors, Angel Deradoorian’s new solo record is a plunky, jazzy, art-pop experiment full of curious introspective diversions and spare electronic arrangements. Don’t be put off by what I’m making sound inaccessible — it’s absolutely not. Think thick, dripping bass lines, soft reverb-laden vocals, heavy influence from funk and no wave, and the slight unhinged twitchiness that St. Vincent gets directly from David Byrne. (Standout track: Digital Gravestone)
2. Ezra Furman - Goodbye Small Head
I literally just told you that I wouldn’t be discussing super well-known artists, and here I am… talking about Ezra Furman. Somebody in the comments please validate me by admitting this is your introduction to her? Anyway, I have been a fan for years, and an album title referencing Sleater-Kinney is absolute catnip for me. While sonically I don’t think it’s much of a departure for Ezra, this record is perfecting over 15 years of the kind of pure, proto-punk rock’n’roll emblematic of Lou Reed. If you loved last year’s phenomenal Diamond Jubilee, this record will appeal. (Standout track: Power of the Moon)
3. John Michel & Anthony James - Egotrip
Egotrip is how I’m justifying the extreme lateness of this post. It earned its spot on the list only two days ago, on a tip from
2. The Chicago/Philly hip-hop duo seems to have dropped out of the ether fully formed, with no backstory, no web presence, and a strong whiff of industry plant fuckwittery. My take? I don’t give a shit how they landed on the scene, Philly origins will always get bonus points with me, and (more to the point), their actual bars are absolute gold. This is the kind of sample-heavy, melodic, catchy, soulful rap — complete with chipmunk backing vocals — that we haven’t heard since the early 2000s. In fact, if you used to love Kanye West but now feel completely betrayed by the Nazi he’s turned into, Egotrip is your salvation. This is The College Dropout for the newest crop of graduates. (Standout track: TAKE NO MORE)ICYMI: Here is my entire 1.5 hour interview with
"If You Have Shame, You're Lame"
I talk to Michael Angelakos about Passion Pit's origins, early 2000s nostalgia, the death of the music industry, guilty pleasures, "clinical shame," mental health, vulnerability, and a lot more besides.
Still to come - recession sleaze without the kitsch, new bands with ‘90s sounds, & old bands you’ve never heard of.
Previously:
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