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Favourite albums of 2025 - Part One

December 16, 2025 Peter Kimpton

First selection of 25 favourite albums in no particular order …

Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

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In African, albums, alternative, Americana, art-rock, avant garde, baroque pop, chamber pop, country, dance, dance music, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, French, funk, fusion, garage, glam, gospel, goth, grunge, hip hop, hip-hop, indie, industrial, jazz, instrumental, krautrock, lo-fi, lounge, new wave, musical theatre, poetry, pop, post-punk, post-rock, prog-rock, psychedelia, punk, R&B, reggae, rock, soul, ska, soundtracks, traditional, theatrical, trip-hop, spoken word Tags albums, favourites of the year, Perfume Genius, Benefits, Circuit des Yeux, clipping., Daveed Diggs, Melin Melyn, Doves, Ela Minus, The Weather Station, Jasmine 4.t, Squid, Heartworms, Tunng, C Duncan, FKA Twigs, Anna B Savage, Editrix, Folk Bitch Trio, Matt Maltese, Disiniblud, Emily Breeze, Jessica Winter, Wet Leg, Big Special, Kae Tempest, Duo Ruut, Matador Records, Invada Records, Sub Pop, Blomonj, Kartel Music Group, EMI North, Universal Music, Domino Records, Fat Possum, Saddest Factory Records, Warp Records, Speedy Wunderground, Full Time Hobby, Bella Union, Young Records, Atlantic Records, City Slang, Joyful Noise Recordings, Jagjaguwar, Tonight Matthew, The Orchard, Sugar Shack Records, Lucky Number, Universal Island, So Recordings, Silva Screen Recordings
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Tunng: Love You All Over Again

January 27, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Tunng: Love You All Over Again. Cover art: Lilias Buchanan

New album: A beautiful, celebratory album of the pioneering British ‘folktronica’ band’s 20 years of music, with an eighth LP of brand new songs fully capturing their distinctive, delicate, crisply poetic, agile style with a delicious feeling of circularity.

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In albums, alternative, electronica, experimental, folk Tags Tunng, Full Time Hobby, albums, new albums, new releases
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LUMP: Animal

July 30, 2021 Peter Kimpton
Animal is the second LUMP album by Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay

Animal is the second LUMP album by Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay

New album: With a suite of exquisite sounds from flutes to the soft thunk of bass and ethereal vocals, the second album by Laura Marling and Tunng’s Mike Lindsay is a little more stripped back than the first, but still brings otherworldly beauty

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In albums, experimental, electronica, folk Tags albums, new releases, LUMP, Laura Marling, Mike Lindsay, Tunng, Partisan Records, Chrysalis
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Fiona Apple to Lianne La Havas to Yves Tumor: favourite albums of 2020 – Part 1

December 28, 2020 Peter Kimpton
Lianne La Havas, Fiona Apple and Yves Tumor are among three artists who have released outstanding LPs

Lianne La Havas, Fiona Apple and Yves Tumor are among three artists who have released outstanding LPs

Albums of 2020 roundup: A year of lockdowns, alternative sounds, experimentation and surprises. This is the first half two roundups of a total over 50 favourite albums of the year that musicians stayed at home. And here’s Part 2.

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In African, albums, ambient, blues, classical, country, dance music, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, garage, grunge, hip hop, indie, jazz, poetry, pop, post-punk, prog-rock, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, soul, traditional, trip-hop Tags albums, new releases, Fontaines D.C., Wesley Gonzalez, Sparks, Wilma Archer, Sudan Archives, Billy Nomates, LYR, Simon Armitage, Moses Boyd, Tunng, Sports Team, Holy Fuck, Cornershop, Porridge Radio, Fiona Apple, Warm Digits, Taylor Swift, The Nightingales, Moses Sumney, Bill Callahan, Julianna Barwick, Yves Tumor, U.S. Girls, Elvis Costello, Wire, Thundercat, Lavinia Blackwall, Nadine Shah, Lianne La Havas
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Album reviews roundup: Tunng, Olafur Arnalds, Quakers, Kylie, Tiña, Holy Motors, Planet Battagon, Adulkt Life, The Growth Eternal

November 10, 2020 Peter Kimpton
This week’s magic nine

This week’s magic nine

Album reviews roundup: an exceptionally experimental and original lineup includes Tunng’s special death project, Iceland’s Olafur Arnalds at his most vulnerable, Tiña, the cosmic jazz funk of Planet Battagon, and for balance, some Kylie disco

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In albums, ambient, country, dance music, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, grime, indie, metal, jazz, pop, post-punk, punk, rock, soul, trip-hop, African Tags albums, new releases, Tunng, Ólafur Arnalds, Quakers, Supa K, Geoff Barrow, Sampa The Great, Kylie Minogue, Tiña, Holy Motors, Planet Battagon, Adulkt Life, The Growth Eternal, Full Time Hobby, Mercury KX, Stones Throw, BMG, Speedy Wunderground, Wharf Cat Records, On The Corner, What's Your Rupture?, Leaving Music, Bandcamp
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New albums: Thom Yorke, The Black Keys, The Tallest Man On Earth, Tunng, Molly, House and Land, Body Type, 75 Dollar Bill, Kim Petras

July 9, 2019 Peter Kimpton
From Paul Thomas Anderson’s film to Thom Yorke’s Anima

From Paul Thomas Anderson’s film to Thom Yorke’s Anima

The latest roundup includes the Radiohead frontman’s collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, a return for The Black Keys, beautiful heights by The Tallest Man On Earth, plus a variety of indie, pop and mostly folk in many forms

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In African, albums, ambient, blues, country, dance music, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, jazz, pop, post-punk, rock, soul, traditional, trip-hop Tags albums, new releases, Thom Yorke, Radiohead, Nigel Godrich, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Black Keys, The Tallest Man On Earth, Molly, House and Land, Tunng, Body Type, 75 Dollar Bill, Kim Petras, XL Recordings, Nonesuch Records, Rivers Records, Birds Records, Sonic Cathedral, Thrill Jockey, Full Time Hobby, Partisan Records, Inertia Music, tak:til Records, Thin Wrist Records, Bunhead Records
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Gazelle Twin to Villagers: favourite albums of 2018 – part 2

December 30, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Gazelle Twin - aka Elizabeth Bernholz, pushing the musical boundaries on Brexit Britain, past and present, with her extraordinary album Pastoral

Gazelle Twin - aka Elizabeth Bernholz, pushing the musical boundaries on Brexit Britain, past and present, with her extraordinary album Pastoral

The second part of our roundup of outstanding albums of 2018, in alphabetical order by title, marked by a number of great debuts from young bands, as well as more established artists releasing their best work to date

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In albums, ambient, blues, classical, country, dance music, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, garage, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, pop, post-punk, punk, reggae, rock, soul, trip-hop Tags albums, new releases, Marlowe, L'Orange, Solemn Brigham, Mattiel, Hookworms, Go-Kart Mozart, Lawrence, Creep Show, John Grant, Stephen Mallinder, Cabbage, Cabaret Voltaire, Field Music, Gazelle Twin, White Denim, The Nightingales, Farao, Ólafur Arnalds, Ought, First Aid Kit, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Orielles, Jon Hopkins, Thee Oh Sees, Shame, Tunng, Jon Spencer, Courtney Barnett, Villagers, Suede, Josh T Pearson, Arctic Monkeys, Ezra Furman, Sunflower Bean, Wax Chattels, Parquet Courts, Jeffrey Lewis, Olivia Chaney, Hen Oggled, Richard Dawson, Domino Records
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New albums: White Denim, Tunng, The Lemon Twigs, Ólafur Arnalds, Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood, Her's, Blood Orange, Candi Staton, Interpol

August 24, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Tunng – Songs You Make At Night

Tunng – Songs You Make At Night

Our bumper roundup includes a welcome return to the folktronica innovators Tunng, plus White Denim, Mark Lanegan, a concept album from the Lemon Twigs, 80s-style pop from Her’s, and the soul star Candi Staton

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In albums, dance music, electronica, folk, funk, garage, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, pop, post-punk, rock, soul Tags new releases, albums, White Denim, Tunng, The Lemon Twigs, Ólafur Arnalds, Mark Lanegan, Duke Garwood, Her's, Blood Orange, Dev Hynes, Lightspeed Champion, Candi Staton, Interpol, City Slang, Full Time Hobby, Mercury KX, 4AD, Heist Or Hit, Heavenly Recordings, Domino Records, Beracah/Thirty Tigers, Matador Records
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New albums: Father John Misty, LUMP (Laura Marling / Mike Lindsay), Bodega, Neko Case, Warmduscher, Natalie Prass, Sam Evian, Morcheeba

June 1, 2018 Peter Kimpton
LUMP: Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay, inspired by the hairy one

LUMP: Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay, inspired by the hairy one

This week we lavish you with a bumper crop of top-quality LPs: ethereal beauty in a Laura Marling collaboration, Father John Misty parodying narcissism, brilliant Brooklyn punk band Bodega, blues funk from Warmduscher, and superb solo female work by Neko Case and Natalie Prass

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In albums, blues, country, dance music, electronica, folk, funk, garage, hip hop, indie, jazz, pop, post-punk, punk, rock, soul, trip-hop Tags Father John Misty, Josh Tillman, Laura Marling, Mike Lindsay, Tunng, new releases, albums, Bodega, Brooklyn, internet, Warmduscher, Saul Adamczewski, Lias Kaci Saoudi, The Moonlandingz, Insecure Men, Natalie Prass, Neko Case, Matthew E. White, Laura Veirs, Beth Ditto, Peter Bjorn and John, Sam Evian, Morcheeba, Root Manuva, Dead Oceans, Bella Union, What's Your Rupture?, The Leaf Label, ATO Records, ANTI Records, Saddle Creek Records, Fly Agaric Records
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

Caffè mocha


SNACK OF THE WEEK

land of nod cinnamon bun


New Albums …

Featured
The Landfill by Fruit Bats.jpeg
June 17, 2026
Fruit Bats: The Landfill
June 17, 2026

New album: Written as usual with his first-thing-in-the-morning, stream-of-consciousness technique, the singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson, also one-third of the folk trio Bonny Light Horseman, returns with a new collection of melodic, often beautiful, and profound, reflective, gentle, folky rock now 30 years since the first album

June 17, 2026
Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! by Horse Lords.jpeg
June 17, 2026
Horse Lords: Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!
June 17, 2026

New album: The Berlin-based, Baltimore quartet return with their special brand of mesmeric, experimental rock, weaving a rich maze of African polyrhythmic patterns and fascinating tessellations of percussion, guitar, bass, saxophone, microtones, electronic and voice loops

June 17, 2026
Roses by WIDOWSPEAK.jpeg
June 17, 2026
Widowspeak: Roses
June 17, 2026

New album: Deliciously gentle-paced and languid, warmly twangy and romantically nostalgic, poetic indie-country-rock by the New York band of spouses vocalist Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas, with delicate musical echoes of Tom Petty, Rolling Stones, REM, Neil Young, Yo La Tengo and Cat Power in this finely crafted seventh LP

June 17, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo - You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.jpeg
June 16, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo: you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
June 16, 2026

New album: The 23-year-old American singer-songwriter, actress, and evidently big fan of The Cure returns with consummately crafted, smart, witty pop and indie rock, featuring an appearance by Robert Smith, and charting the arc of a romantic relationship from unbridled joy to bitter aftermath in her third LP

June 16, 2026
Bingo! by La Sécurité.jpeg
June 15, 2026
La Sécurité: Bingo!
June 15, 2026

New album: Fabulously fun, vibrant, feisty, catchy, wittily droll post-punk, new wave and art-punk in this pacy, vivacious sophomore LP by the Montréal collective with themes from mental health, dysfunctional relationships, food to enjoyable elderly activities, with styles reminiscent of The B-52s and Devo

June 15, 2026
So Help Me God by Kelsey Lu.jpeg
June 13, 2026
Kelsey Lu: So Help Me God
June 13, 2026

New album: Luxuriant, ethereal, dramatic and passionate experimental and chamber dream pop by the American singer-songwriter and cellist, with their second LP, seven years since 2019 debut Blood, with guests including Sampha, Kamasi Washington, Kim Gordon, and co-producer Jack Antonoff

June 13, 2026
Cry Baby by Vince Staples.jpeg
June 10, 2026
Vince Staples: Cry Baby
June 10, 2026

New album: The Compton/ Long Beach, Californian rapper returns with a potent, punchy, overtly political rock-hip hop seventh LP that heavily critiques American society and power, racism, police violence, gun culture, media and the music industry, largely accompanied by a tight, riff-heavy electric guitars, bass and drums

June 10, 2026
Liz Lawrence - Vespers.jpeg
June 9, 2026
Liz Lawrence: Vespers
June 9, 2026

New album: More acoustic, stripped back and lo-fi than her previous four albums, yet with deeply powerful and moving songwriting and performance, the British artist’s latest is suffused with grief, reflection and devotion for the premature loss of her sister Jessie, capturing life and death, poetically expressing devotion and reflection

June 9, 2026
Neon Summer Skin by Bedouine.jpeg
June 9, 2026
Bedouine: Neon Summer Skin
June 9, 2026

New album: A serenely beautiful, but also nostalgically sorrowful fourth LP by American singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian who has Armenian-Syrian heritage, with songs about displacement and identity, very mindful of Middle Eastern conflicts, atrocities and her family history, while broadening her sound into the lush mould of 1970s Carole King and Laurel Canyon

June 9, 2026
Spatial, No Problem. by Lee %22Scratch%22 Perry & Mouse on Mars.jpeg
June 8, 2026
Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mouse on Mars: Spatial, No Problem
June 8, 2026

New album: This wondrously eclectic and entertaining final official album project by the legendary Jamaican producer and artist, made before his passing in 2021, is a collaboration with the German electronic duo Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma, mixing reggae, krautrock, ambient, dub, jazz, New Orleans brass and more, alongside Perry’s distinctive voice

June 8, 2026
Doctrine of Love by Jalen Ngonda.jpeg
June 7, 2026
Jalen Ngonda: Doctrine of Love
June 7, 2026

New album: Following his acclaimed 2023 debut Come Around And Love Me, the American UK-based impressive soul singer’s second LP is another classy collection of beautifully uplifting, sublime Northern soul and Motown-era love songs

June 7, 2026
Death Cab For Cutie - I Built You A Tower.jpeg
June 7, 2026
Death Cab For Cutie: I Built You A Tower
June 7, 2026

New album: Elegantly expressed emotional turmoil unfolds across 11 cleverly crafted songs in this 11th album by the Seattle indie rock band fronted by Ben Gibbard and produced by the brilliant John Congleton around a metaphor for post-marriage grief

June 7, 2026
Zoh Amba - Eyes Full 2.jpeg
June 6, 2026
Zoh Amba: Eyes Full
June 6, 2026

New album: The NY-scene free jazz saxophonist forms an indie-folk-country-rock-muddy-blues trio with fabulously strong results in this passionate, raw, free-flowing debut as guitarist-singer-songwriter, lyrics themed around their original hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, and coloured by Appalachian roots

June 6, 2026
Rumspringa by ear.jpeg
June 5, 2026
ear: Rumspringa
June 5, 2026

New album: Minimalistic, introverted, nuanced quirky laptop experimental electronica by the New York duo Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan, following last year’s debut The Most Dear and the Future, this one named after a a rite of passage for Amish adolescents translated as "running around" in Pennsylvania German

June 5, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Julia Jacklin - The Gem.jpg
June 19, 2026
Song of the Day: Julia Jacklin - Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)
June 19, 2026

Song of the Day: A cleverly nuanced, emotionally ambiguous beautifully stirring indie-pop love song by the Australian singer-songwriter, in this first single heralding her upcoming fourth album The Gem, out on 25 September via 4AD

June 19, 2026
Paycheque by Paycheque.jpeg
June 18, 2026
Song of the Day: Paycheque - Heatwave
June 18, 2026

Song of the Day: Stylishly solemn, 80s-influenced synth and scything guitar indie pop with big drums by the Los Angeles duo of Allison Goldfarb and Jackson MacIntosh, from their recently released self-titled debut album, out on Mansions and Millions

June 18, 2026
Hanna Tuulikki.jpeg
June 17, 2026
Song of the Day: Hanna Tuulikki and Tommy Perman - We Came Out (Lesser Horseshoe bat)
June 17, 2026

Song of the Day: A pair of wondrously striking experimental electronica tracks infused with field recordings of the nocturnal winged mammal by the experimental artists and designer based in Scotland

June 17, 2026
Surusinghe 2.jpeg
June 16, 2026
Song of the Day: Surusinghe - FRIED
June 16, 2026

Song of the Day: A mesmeric, eclectic opening track by the Naarm/Melbourne-raised, London-based electronic artist, DJ and producer aka Suze Gurusinghe, from her recently released EP, Cutting Thread, out on Dh2

June 16, 2026
L'Rain 3.jpeg
June 15, 2026
Song of the Day: L'Rain - Soulless Cycle
June 15, 2026

Song of the Day: A whoosh of thunderous, mesmeric alternative rock marks this striking new single by the Brooklyn experimental composer, musician, artist and singer Taja Cheek, heralding her upcoming fourth album Fata Morgana, out on 14 August via Mexican Summer

June 15, 2026
Fenne Lily.jpeg
June 14, 2026
Song of the Day: Fenne Lily - Uh Huh
June 14, 2026

Song of the Day: Beautiful, banjo accompanied, reflective wistful indie folk-pop by the the Brooklyn-based British singer-songwriter with this first single heralding her upcoming fourth album, Win Win, out on 23 October via Nettwerk Music

June 14, 2026
Interpol.jpeg
June 13, 2026
Song of the Day: Interpol - See Out Loud
June 13, 2026

Song of the Day: Pulsating indie rock by the seasoned New York band fronted by singer Paul Banks and guitarist Daniel Kessler, heralding their upcoming eighth album This Mirror Weighs a Ton, out on 28 August, and newly signed to Partisan Records

June 13, 2026
Jack White - Frozen Charlotte.jpeg
June 12, 2026
Song of the Day: Jack White - Dollar Bill
June 12, 2026

Song of the Day: The White Stripes man returns with a blistering, bluesy rock guitar, Led Zeppelin-ish single, heralding his upcoming seventh solo album, Frozen Charlotte, out on 10 July via Third Man Records

June 12, 2026
Hot Slob by Sylvan Esso.jpeg
June 11, 2026
Song of the Day: Sylvan Esso - Hot Slob
June 11, 2026

Song of the Day: A proudly messy, rowdy, pointed and punchy new indie rock single embracing the spirit and chaos of living in the glitch by the North Carolina duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, here featuring Jenn Wasner and TJ Maiani and out on Psychic Hotline

June 11, 2026
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June 10, 2026
Song of the Day: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Monster
June 10, 2026

Song of the Day: The hugely popular and Grammy-winning Mexico City-raised guitar duo return with a dextrously brilliant new single mixing acoustic and rock styles, heralding their new upcoming new album OurHome out 18 September via ATO Records

June 10, 2026
JJerome87 - The Canyon.jpeg
June 9, 2026
Song of the Day: JJerome87 - Mr. Alligator
June 9, 2026

Song of the Day: A bluesy, smooth, luxuriantly produced Americana number about a dubious authority figure by the British songwriter and musician Joe Newman, frontman of the Mercury winning band alt-J, in this latest single from his debut solo album, The Canyon, out on 26 June via Mushroom Music/ Virgin

June 9, 2026
Balti and Lapgan.jpeg
June 8, 2026
Song of the Day: Baalti & Lapgan - Romance / Ipa Ma
June 8, 2026

Song of the Day: Vibrant, rhythmic, experimental electronica and dance music sampling Bollywood, Bengali disco, Hindustani classical and Gujarati folk by the NY-based pair Jaiveer Singh, Mihir Chauhan, joined by producer Gaurav Nagpa, from their recent album, Threads, out on Azal/FADER

June 8, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Flying saucer.jpeg
June 11, 2026
Word of the week: phialiform
June 11, 2026

Word of the week: This rare but oddly beautiful rare adjective means "saucer-shaped" or having the form of a small, shallow cup or vessel, from the Latin root phiala (a shallow bowl or phial) and the suffix -iform, meaning shape

June 11, 2026
Cypress vine.jpg
June 4, 2026
Word of the week: quamoclit
June 4, 2026

Word of the week: Also known as cypress vine, cardinal creeper, cardinal vine, star glory, star of Bethlehem or hummingbird vine, this striking climbing flower, Ipomoea quamoclit, is native tropical regions of the Americas and has a distinctive trumpet with five-point star-shaped petals

June 4, 2026
Riqq 1.jpeg
May 21, 2026
Word of the week: riqq
May 21, 2026

Word of the week: An appropriately onomatopoeic noun for name for Middle Eastern tambourine, able to produce a range of percussive sounds, and commonly heard in traditional Egyptian, Arab, Greek and Turkish music

May 21, 2026
Man-blowing-a-salpinx.jpg
May 7, 2026
Word of the week: salpinx
May 7, 2026

Word of the week: This very imposing, loud, resonant noun is an ancient Greek, trumpet-like instrument used as a tactical signal on the battle field, as well as to signal the beginnings of gatherings, or of races in sport

May 7, 2026
Song thrush 2.jpeg
April 23, 2026
Word of the week: throstle
April 23, 2026

Word of the week: An archaic, evocative noun with two connected meanings, originally for the song thrush, then later a textiles industrial frame for spinning, twisting and winding machine for cotton, wool, and other fibres simultaneously

April 23, 2026

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