As 2025 comes to a close, the IINAG team reflects on a remarkable year defined by incredible music, each contributing to what has been one of the strongest years of music in modern history.
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
On ‘Everybody Scream,’ Florence + The Machine present their most daring and emotionally intense album in years. It blends mythic grandeur, raw vulnerability, and theatrical pop into a powerful fusion. Created during a period of personal change and artistic renewal, Florence Welch embraces chaos instead of avoiding it, channelling feelings of rage, joy, and freedom into songs that are both wild and carefully shaped. Her voice remains one of the most powerful in modern music, soaring through big choruses and whispering in intimate moments, guiding listeners through a cathartic experience.
The album’s expansive production features choral highlights, industrial sounds, and gothic elements that expand their sonic landscape while maintaining the spiritual depth that characterises their music. ‘Everybody Scream’ is a reclamation, a bold, victorious declaration that isn’t afraid to show its teeth. It marks a career high point and stands out as one of the defining releases of 2025. – Katie Macbeth
Geese – Getting Killed
Geese’s third record, Getting Killed, has become a cultural monolith. The swaying rock, layered with country tinges, industrial breakdowns and a bizarre sense of surprise that this record wasn’t borne out of the Windmill scene, has exploded in 2025.
The sheer talent in Geese makes Getting Killed the triumph it is: each member contributes layer after layer of sonic intrigue, building to an album which is simultaneously cutting edge and comfortingly nostalgic. ‘Trinidad’ is an explosive rockout number, ‘Taxes’ is a touching, softer ballad style tune, ‘Long Island City Here I Come’ is like a rich espresso after a slap-up meal – it comes in hard and fast to blow you away at the end of this sensational record.
Geese have taken over alternative music culture. They’re Charli xcx’s Brat for the Six Music Dad. – Charlie Brock
Home Counties – Humdrum
Innovation sparkles through this record from start to finish and, in doing so, cements Home Counties as one of the most interesting guitar bands in the UK right now. The band’s sophomore album evolves their distinct sound and brings a vibrant and brilliant groove that is absolutely magnetising. Born from the six members sitting around a laptop, this record has a tantalising dance base using peculiar synths and drum machines. They then bring the record to life with behemoth vocals, live drums and roaring guitar riffs to curate this incredible blend of dance and guitar music. Atop this beautiful landscape stand mighty yet tender vocals which intertwine between the band’s two lead singers with an unprecedented level of synergy. Creating distinct characters and narratives, as slick lyricism delivers a variety of thought-provoking modern-day observations. From shocking the listener with the unpleasant reality of the UK’s political reality to the intricacies of communication within a relationship. The accumulation of these excellently executed elements comes together to create a hypnotic disco that you can’t help but lose yourself in. A sensational piece of work. – Zac Lewis
HAIM – I Quit
2025 was the year HAIM declared that they quit. No, not music, but entertaining the things that serve them no purpose. If there’s one thing this trio know how to do, it’s write a cracking breakup song and across its 15 tracks, fourth album I Quit takes listeners through the varying stages of grief that follow the end of a relationship, set to a backdrop of instrumentals that are hard to pin down to one specific genre. Their first album without Ariel Reichstaid, credited as producer, they once again enlisted Rostam Batmanglij to create something a little different to their previous efforts. Influences are drawn from everywhere: there are hints of 90’s R&B on ‘Relationships’, a country twist to aptly titled ‘The farm’, and it wouldn’t be a HAIM album without some solid guitar lines or wicked drums from Danielle in both ‘Down to be wrong’ and ‘Everybody’s trying to figure me out’. I Quit is HAIM doing what they do best and, in turn, proving the point that your best work often comes out of your worst times. – Minty Slater-Mearns
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
Bon Iver’s SABLE, fABLE is a record split into two distinct halves that together form one of Justin Vernon’s most poignant records to date.
Disc 1, SABLE, hooks you from the first pickings of guitar in “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS,” patient, unguarded and instantly transportive, reminding you just how quietly devastating Vernon can be when he strips everything back. There’s guilt and pain in these tracks, which are so reflective, most evident in “S P E Y S I D E”.
Disc 2, fABLE is where the record reveals its full ambition, using the experimental creativity that has driven the latter half of Bon Iver’s discography to date. It’s an exciting selection of works, including guest features from Dijon, Flock of Dimes and Danielle Haim. “Everything is Peaceful Love” stands out, but it’s a non-skip record.
His distinct vocals throughout the record feel more mature, even alongside the playful production used at times, yet the emotional weight of the lyrics is never lost. Ultimately, SABLE, fABLE stands out for the calibre of its musicianship, the depth of its production, and the clarity of Vernon’s songwriting, resulting in a record that feels both familiar and quietly groundbreaking. – Henry Dunn
Joy Crookes – Juniper
Joy Crookes’ Juniper stands as one of 2025’s strongest albums for the way it weaves emotional nuance and authentic vigour, solidifying her development and emergence as a mature, multifaceted artist. Written off the back of difficult times that Crookes has endured, this album tackles heavy themes – such as unrequited love, relationships between body and mind, and generational, family-related trauma – all while remaining grounded in its jazzy, soulful production and providing a warm, joyful listen. Juniper has been widely praised this year, with The Guardian calling it a “master class in storytelling” featuring “lush, cinematic arrangements” that allow her soulful voice to shine through. DIY magazine also noted it as a “testament to Joy’s inner strength”, once again highlighting her emergence as an honest, vulnerable artist who is not afraid to face difficult topics head-on. One aspect that makes Juniper truly notable is its sense of collaboration and partnership, featuring artists such as Kano and Vince Staples, whilst still leaving Crookes directly in the spotlight. Her ability to work alongside other artists and produce symbiotic work truly solidifies Joy’s place as a strong, sagacious voice in British music in 2025. – Cerys Ferney
CMAT – Euro-Country
On Euro-Country, CMAT cements her status as one of the most distinctive songwriters of her generation, reshaping country-pop through a uniquely Irish lens. It’s a widescreen, whip-smart record that treats heartbreak, self-sabotage and existential dread with cinematic drama and razor-sharp wit. CMAT blends Nashville gloss with Eurovision-sized hooks, 70s soft-rock warmth and the storytelling instincts of a born tragedienne, creating a sound that feels both tongue-in-cheek and gut-wrenchingly sincere. Beneath the glitter and grandiosity lies a songwriter pushing her craft to new heights: choruses soar, verses cut deep, and every arrangement feels meticulously built to hold both humour and devastation in the same breath. Euro-Country is bold, funny, and heartbreakingly human, a twangy, technicolour epic that only CMAT could make, and her most confident, fully realised work to date. – Lauren Moreton
Inhaler – Open Wide
Inhaler’s heavily anticipated third album ‘Open Wide’ came out at the beginning of the year, and from the first single, this album saw a diversion from the typical indie-rock formula that the band have tended to lean into on previous albums. Despite meeting some scepticism upon first release, the newer tracks such as ‘Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah) and ‘X-Ray’ have quickly established themselves as staples within the band’s discography. Each track is unique with influences from 80s pop and glam rock tones as well as heavy and urgent guitars, but still maintains a distinctive cohesion as a full body of work. With influences from 80s pop and more glam-rock tones, ‘Open
Wide’ marks a new maturity for Inhaler within both sound and lyricism, this growth most evident on the title track. This album is integral to Inhaler carving out their identity, demonstrating that they are more than just the indie-boyband blueprint. – Zoe McCormick
FKA twigs – Eusexua / Eusexua Afterglow
Across Eusexua and its companion piece Eusexua Afterglow, FKA twigs delivers her most daring artistic metamorphosis yet, a two-part statement that feels both immaculate and instinctively alive. eusexua is the body: lush, intimate, and tactile, exploring desire, power, and vulnerability through fluid electronics and the kind of boundary-blurring vocal work only twigs can conjure. But Afterglow is the rupture; a glitch-scorched rebirth where perfection splinters into something volatile, exhilarating, and newly self-possessed.
Described as “chaos in perfection,” Afterglow sheds the skin of Eusexua entirely, breaking open its themes with sharper edges, distorted pulses, and a sense of creative danger. Together, the two records form a rare duality: one project grounding itself in emotional and physical reality, the other tearing those realities apart to begin again. It’s a fearless reinvention from an artist who continues to redefine what pop, performance, and intimacy can sound like. – Katie Macbeth
Viagra Boys – Viagr Aboys
Viagra Boys’ fourth studio album is a whirlwind of delicious yet tender absurdity. It lingers across the record and dances in and out of the spotlight. Thunderous guitars, explosive drums and brooding vocals come together to create this unbelievably distinct and unique sound that defines the album while also allowing for a drastic variety in tone and feeling.
From the very beginning of their career, Viagra Boys and nihilism have been synonymous; their name is as far as you need to go to understand that.
This perspective and attitude are effortlessly furthered on this latest record through Sebastian Murphy’s hilarious lyrical content, lyricism and vocal delivery. The album’s lead single, ‘Man Made of Meat’, refers to “your mom’s only fans”, uses the term “flappy giblets”, and mentions the death of Chandler Bing, all in three minutes and ten seconds. These satirical observations allow listeners to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of modern society and culture. viagr aboys seamlessly, varies from the heights of humour to breath-taking moments of delicate vulnerability
This record develops the Swedish punk rockers’ sounds to be even bolder, even sillier, even funnier and even more fantastic. It is bizarre, it is raucous, it is an absolute pleasure to listen to. – Zac Lewis
Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out
‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ is precisely what punk should sound like in 2025. Queer and feminist rage, love and anti-establishment sentiment has seen LG explode this year.
Their reputation for incendiary live shows has seen the band climb festival bills and show sizes: they’re a force majeure of political punk. Superb punk tunes flesh out ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’, with thunderous percussion teaming beautifully with crunchy, fuzzy guitars and the occasional synthesiser.
The record sounds like a brick going through a window: it’s in your face, loud, large and ultimately packed with love, kindness and compassion. LG are the truest embodiment of punk that modern Britain has to offer. – Charlie Brock
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
If you played an early Turnstile track and queued up some of their more recent work behind it, you’d perhaps mistake them for two completely different groups. Whilst some fans might suggest they’ve lost their hardcore edge and gone all soft, NEVER ENOUGH is simply a showcase of what happens when you stop trying to meet other people’s definition of perfect and instead lean into whatever feels right. They find the balance between the two musical worlds they now inhabit with ease, one moment listeners are met with fast-paced guitar-heavy tracks like ‘DULL’ and ‘SOLE’ and during others like ‘I CARE’ and ‘SEEIN STARS’, the group let the side of them that loves 80’s pop and a synthesiser take hold. This record is them at their most self-assured, totally unfazed by what is expected of them and instead making hardcore music accessible to the pop fans out there. – Minty Slater-Mearns
Blondshell – If You Asked For A Picture
Blondshell’s second album, If You Asked For A Picture, is a striking follow-up to her self-titled debut, a wonderfully grungy album steeped in angst and self-deprecating sarcasm that pairs perfectly with its 90s-leaning punk-pop edge.
Sabrina Teitelbaum has a gift for bottling raw emotion. Whether she’s unpacking her love life or navigating the complexities of family, she wears her heart on her sleeve, yet filters it through a sharp, often biting sense of humour. The lyrics may lean into irony as a form of self-protection, but the underlying anxiety, carried by her delivery and the grit of the music, is impossible to miss.
“Event of a Fire” is a standout, capturing the tension between chaos and clarity that Blondshell excels at. “What’s Fair” hits just as hard, pairing intelligent lyricism with emotional bite. The album is also smartly bookended, opening and closing with two of its strongest tracks, framing the entire journey with intention.
If You Asked For A Picture is messy, melodic and brutally honest, a standout release that more than deserves its spot in the year’s best albums. – Henry Dunn
Manic Street Preachers – Critical Thinking
Caerphilly’s Manic Street Preachers delivered us a potent combination of rage and musical ambition this year, in the shape of Critical Thinking. Released back at the start of the year in February, it stands as the impressive 15th studio album from the group – a fiery reminder of why the group still matters, and why we should be listening to what they have to say, possibly more now than ever before. On tracks like ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ and ‘Decline & Fall’, MSP strike a rare balance between emotional maturity and cynicism, integrating ideas of reinvention and political sharpness with contemplative, piano-driven melodies and renewed clarity. NME magazine praised the group highly for their “warm but spiky ’80s art-indie”, and noted it as a collection of tracks in which “plenty of fight” remains throughout uncertainty and doubt. Critical Thinking truly reinstates the band’s relevance after so many years, and proves to many that they still hold the ability to channel themes of political reflection and social ambition through sharp lyricism and assured melodies. – Cerys Ferney
Wet Leg – Moisturizer
With Moisturizer, Wet Leg prove they’re far more than the viral lightning strike that first introduced them to the world. The Isle of Wight duo stretch their sound into stranger, sharper territory, trading breezy deadpan for bolder textures that fizz with invention. The album leans into prickly post-punk, rubbery art-pop, and bursts of riotous guitar work, but never loses the sly humour and melodic bite that made their debut so beloved. Each track feels like a mischievous detour, wonky hooks, skewed rhythms, and choruses that snap into place with effortless charm, yet the record is threaded with a new emotional clarity, revealing a band unafraid to sit with discomfort. Moisturizer is Wet Leg levelling up: wilder, more self-assured, and gleefully unpredictable, a testament to their ability to grow without sanding down the oddities that make them special. – Lauren Moreton
Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman
Self Esteem’s A Complicated Woman is a bold manifesto for 2025 that redefines honesty in music. Rebecca Lucy Taylor challenges traditional notions of femininity with a theatrical style, featuring powerful percussion and catchy hooks. The album embraces the chaos of life, messiness, anger, desire, and self-worth, making each song feel like a loud collective shout. With its energetic lead tracks and softer moments of vulnerability, Taylor builds a rich, celebratory world. It’s impressive how the album mixes choral elements with industrial sounds while still being relatable. The album is a cultural moment that feels perfectly timed, establishing Self Esteem as a voice for a generation ready to break free from constraints. It’s the sound of modern liberation in all its complexity. – Ollie Thomas
Legss – Unreal
Legss’ debut album, Unreal, is the hidden gem you didn’t know you needed in 2025, a swirling mix of emotion, with twists and turns galore that make this LP a storybook tale.
On the opening track, “Broadcast,” it’s hard not to resist the opening lone, softly-spoken vocals of Ned Green, his lullaby-like tone lowering your defences as if he were speaking just to you. However, this warmth soon explodes into a cry of fervour with each instrumental layer crashing down alongside it.
From then on, you’re plunged down the rabbit hole of Green’s imagination, immersed in a cinematic but raw world of inner-narrative and overthought, and that’s what makes the album so special to me. It feels like a living beast, a window into the swings and pangs of human reflection and hope, that does what any complete album should: transport you to a different world.
This is only made more palpable by a Fugazi-like soundtrack that showcases the versatility of each instrument, with guitars, strings, brass and drums, layered in perfect harmony with the rise and fall of Green’s lyrics. From moments of acoustic simplicity to roaring guitar riffs and punk-ska breakdowns, each change in tempo or tone seems erratic yet makes perfect sense, with a detail and care that just feels human in an ever-AI-centric world. The juxtaposition of the calm of tracks like “When Will I See You Again?” and the unbridled outbursts provided by the likes of “909” only compounds that human unpredictability.
Together, the vocals, music and narrative arc combine for a beautifully gripping LP, hard not to get lost in. Legss have been grafting for years, but their focus on producing art that feels both personal to them and impactful in the wider world is finally bearing fruit. Unreal, truly, is an album not to miss. – George Gray
Squid – Cowards
With their latest album, Cowards, Squid deliver a jittery and whirring anthology of energy and experimentation that carries on their emergence as one of the UK’s most interesting new bands. Their music to date is rich in raw instrumentals, with bursts of energy sparking from calm without precedent or warning, to create tense musical worlds. In Cowards, Squid build on this with a poetic maturity, stripping back their classic sound into a collection of distinct songs thematically connected by ominous and honest reflections on evil itself.
Lead singer Ollie Judge described the work himself as a “book of dark fairytales,” and that’s exactly what the album achieves: each song is an episodic story with a distinct rise and fall that leaves the listener curious for more of its dark tale. It’s not just the lyrical attraction, too, with each track underpinned by a darkly beautiful array of guitar riffs, interpolating the musical variety of each track, that seem to parallel the oscillating vocals of Judge with menacing ease. The result is a very modern album that feels like an epic poem, a modern musical take on Dante’s Inferno perhaps, with each song an episode, a story in its own right that bounces from excitement to discord and ultimately just keeps you hooked. – George Gray
