2025 Music Review

2025 was an impressive year for music and we feel it is worth celebrating. From new artists breathing fresh air into the music scene to legendary veterans showing everyone that they still have the stuff, 2025 had a little bit of everything. 2025 saw so many good releases, we’ve opted to change up our modus operandi. Instead of ranking the best albums of the year, we’ve decided to simply let our writers pick the albums that impressed them the most and write about them. No rankings. No Top Ten. Just 25 albums that stood out to us.

In case this is too much of an aberration from our usual style, we will include our consensus number 1 album of the year at the end of the article. And in our typical form, we will also include a Spotify playlist with representation from each album.

Every album that is listed below is worth exploring. We hope this will be a resource for you as you seek out the good, the beautiful, and the true.

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Andrew Peterson – A Liturgy, A Legacy, and the Songs of Rich Mullins

Taken from a live recording at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville from 2017, Andrew Peterson, with several guests, gives us a massive 31 track album all dedicated to the songs of Rich Mullins. Andrew Peterson has been a vocal fan of Mullins his entire career, and you can feel that love all throughout the album. Peterson’s music follows in the spiritual tradition of Mullins’, being deeply poetic story-based songwriting while blending elements of folk, rock, and acoustic. Having new music from Andrew Peterson is incredible, and this album is among my most played from 2025. (AL)

Essential Tracks – Sometimes By Step, Hold Me Jesus, Calling Out Your Name, Hello Old Friends, Creed

Mumford and Sons – Rushmere

Rushmere is my least favorite Mumford and Sons album. That may sound negative, but it is really a reflection of how much I like their first 4 albums. Rushmere is a return to a more acoustic sound found on their first two records. Definitely worth checking out. (ML)

Essential tracks: Malibu, Rushmere, Caroline

Fielder

Fielder is the musical brainchild of Skye Peterson and Addison Agen. In the spirit of artists like Patty Griffin and Phoebe Bridgers, Fielder is a gentle, warm, and openhearted journey. Peterson and Agen’s voices blend together beautifully, and the songs have enough substance to make them stick. Here’s hoping this isn’t a one-and-done effort by these two talented young artists. (PL)

Essential tracks – Overthink It Baby, Golden Line, Unlearning

Wilder Woods – Curioso

Bear Rinehart, front man of NEEDTOBREAHTHE, is back with his third studio album, Curioso, and it doesn’t disappoint. This album is full of an infectious energy, blending a soulful vibe with a southern pop rock feel. Bear’s voice shines as always, being equally as impactful in the high energy opener “Swimming In The Ocean” as well as the quiet closer “Wild Fire.” (AL)

Essential Tracks – Wild Fire, Love Last, Swimming In The Ocean

Twenty One Pilots – Breach

I’m not a huge Twenty One Pilots fan, but I really enjoyed their newest album. When their songs work for me, they really work. I feel cooler when I listen to Breach and if that is not a seal of approval, I don’t know what is. (PL)

Essential tracks – City Walls, Drum Show, Downstairs

The Head and the Heart – Aperture

One of the more consistent and creative bands of the 2010s is back with their 6^th album. After a misstep in 2022 with the album Every Shade of Blue, Seattle’s The Head and The Heart delivered Aperture in 2025, and much like Mumford and Sons they return to the sound of their first two records. In their case it’s piano driven folk-pop. I, for one, welcome this direction for the band. (ML)

Essential tracks – Fire Escape, Arrow, Time With My Sins

John Mark McMillan – Cosmic Supreme

Cosmic Supreme is one of the more unique sounding albums of the year. It balances John Mark McMillan’s signature voice, lots of background vocals, and colorful instrumentation. His lyrics are straightforward, and his worship sound can both fit the typical CCM vibe yet also rise above it in quality. (AL)

Essential Tracks – The Beauty of the Lord, Ancient Love, Heart’s Delight

Russ Taff – Cover Story

Russ Taff is a legend. I’m not sure what else needs to be said. His career has spanned decades, with more awards and honors than he probably even remembers at this point. He could have lived out his days in peace and quiet. Thankfully for us, Steve Taylor convinced him to do an album of cover songs, and it is one of the best things to come out in 2025. Taff’s voice is weathered and rough around the edges, time having done its work, but it’s lost none of its potency. (PL)

Essential tracks – Tear This Building Down, When Loves Comes To Town, Demons, Ordinary World

Ben Rector – The Richest Man in the World

If you are familiar with Ben Rector’s music you know he hasn’t released a bad record in his 15-year career. His positive energy is infectious, and his piano pop sound is a favorite of my entire family, one of the few artists we can all agree on! His 2025 release is another solid batch of songs. I especially enjoy his collab with Mat Kearney “Praying for Me.” (ML)

Essential tracks – Praying for Me, The Richest Man in the World, Forever (Doesn’t Quite Seem Long Enough), Feel

Gileah Taylor – I Call This One

Yes, this is a 4 song EP, so maybe it doesn’t belong on this list, but these four songs are so good that as far as I’m concerned, it deserves to be recognized more than most albums that were released in 2025. Check it out for Gileah’s voice. Stay for the laid back, Americana vibes. (PL)

Essential tracks – The Lonely Hearts, The Time Traveler

Gray Havens – This Is Not the End

The Gray Havens have been subtly on my radar for a while now, but this is their first album I’ve truly dove into. “This Is Not the End” is some of the most ambitious work they’ve done, and it wonderfully walks the line between honest reflection and heartfelt praise. (AL)

Essential Tracks – Anywhere, Ordinary Miracle, Hold Me Close

Smalltown Poets – St. Augustine

Yes, it’s only 6 songs, but these 6 songs are so good we had to include it. If you like Smalltown Poets, you will love this album. (If you don’t like Smalltown Poets, your brain is broken.) Yet this isn’t a long-running band coasting or repackaging their signature sound. No, St. Augustine is full of wonderful surprises and detours, but still always maintaining Smalltown’s heart and spirit. (PL)

Essential tracks – All the Voices, February, Pour the Water

Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow

If all country music sounded like Jason Isbell, I would like country music a lot more! Isbell is an amazing songwriter, and he proves it again on his first solo album in a decade. While I probably prefer the music released with his band, The 400 Unit, his solo stuff is worth your time. (ML)

Essential tracks – Gravelweed, Wind Behind the Rain, Burry Me

The Choir – Translucent

CCM Legacy Band The Choir is back in 2025 with new music. Translucent is The Choir’s first post-rock album, and it’s a style I hope they continue to develop. Translucent is quiet, melodic, ambient, and it blends all sorts of sounds together. (AL)

Essential Tracks – You Don’t Have to Smile, Slippery Moss

Josh Ritter – I Believe in You, My Honeydew

I gravitate towards songwriters who wrestle with spiritual themes. A shallow pop song may occasionally be fine as a palette cleanser, but I generally prefer to spend time with lyrics that aren’t afraid to tackle important ideas. Ritter is that kind of songwriter and while I don’t always agree with his conclusion about spiritual issues, I appreciate his willingness to let us in on his thought process. If any of this sounds remotely interesting to you then listen to his newest album. (ML)

Essential tracks – Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Binding), Wild Ways, Noah’s Children

The 77’s – 7

The legendary band is back with all new tunes for 2025. (The CD was available in 2025, and it hit streaming sites this year.) While it’s a little mellower than I was hoping it would be, it still has all the signature Michael Roe guitar licks, and the band is as tight as ever. (PL)

Essential tracks – Heart Back, Out of the Clouds, Hand to God, SONATA

Jon Guerra – Jesus

Jon Guerra’s Jesus is one of the more stripped down, quiet, and contemplative records of the year. The lyrics are largely verbatim from Scripture, and Guerra’s overall vision allows certain songs to build to something musically full and rich. (AL)

Essential Tracks – In the Beginning Was Love, Take Up Your Cross, I See the Birds

Citizens – Museum

This one completely caught me by surprise. For whatever reason, I’ve never really connected with Citizen’s music. I didn’t dislike them but nothing they had done prior to this had really taken root in my soul. Museum absolutely broke that trend, quickly jumping into my personal top ten of the year. It’s the perfect blend of 80’s sensibilities layered underneath modern pop rock production. Give me more of this and I will be a fan for life. (PL)

Essential tracks – You already like me, I love you and you’re all right, Surprised

Lo Cloud

Matt Hammitt of Sanctus Real is back with a new band, Lo Cloud. And while they didn’t release an album in 2025 they did release several singles. We are putting them on our list in hopes that it will convince them to release a full-length album soon! If you enjoy early 2000s era modern rock with a touch of emo thrown in, then don’t hesitate to check these guys out. (ML)

Essential tracks – Medicate, Dreams Fall

Colony House – 77 (Pt.1)

I like Colony House. I absolutely love some of their songs. 77 (Pt.1) checks those boxes perfectly. While I don’t love the 7 track album (EP?), the songs I love, I adore completely. (PL)

Essential tracks – Telephone Pole, Highwire, 77

Jess Ray ­­­­– MATIN

This colossal 34 track album is very quiet, yet very powerful. It’s full of hymns as well as original work, and its structure is incredibly creative. MATIN is broken into 4 parts, each part framed with an intro song. I wish more artists had creativity similar to this in their records. The album is arranged intentionally and is sprinkled with various sounds of birds all throughout. It feels like a complete purposeful work rather than a collection of songs. (AL)

Essential Tracks – Lilies and Sparrows, Morning Song, Humble Heart

Hammock – Nevertheless

I love the music of Hammock. There are very few bands who have produced music that hits me as hard as they do. Nevertheless is no different. Give it a spin and let it do its work on your soul. (PL)

Essential tracks – Breath Inside Your Breath, You Get So Far Away, Nevertheless

The Mountain Goats – Through this Fire Across from Peter Balkan

John Darnielle and company are back with one of the best records of 2025. According to Darnielle, the name of the album came to him in a dream, and he went to work developing the theme of the record around that title. The band gives us a concept album about a group of sailors that are shipwrecked and the ensuing struggle of the survivors. While The Mountain Goats can generally be classified as an indie folk band, they’ve never been content to stick with one style. Darnielle is a relentlessly creative songwriter, and the new album could almost be classified as a musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) even provides background vocals. (ML)

Essential tracks – Cold at Night, Broken to Begin With, Armies of the Lord, Peru

Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs

This was my number one album of the year for a good portion of the year. (It was knocked off that perch by our consensus number one.) I love everything about it. The production is expansive yet still gives each instrument clarity. There’s no muddled mess of compression to screw things up. The drums in particular just jump off the record. But the real draw are the songs, and do they deliver! Emotion drenched indie rock at it’s very best. I just hope they don’t wait another 12 years between albums for their next one. (PL)

Essential tracks – Ghosts, Everyone is Happy, and Nothing is Good, Blue, Wedding Clothes

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Rambling Ever On’s Album of the Year

John Van Deusen – As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise Pt. 1

As we were deliberating how we’d structure our 2025 music article this year, it became clear we wanted to recognize a number 1 even if we didn’t officially rank the rest of the albums we highlighted. There was no question this album was the winner.

John Van Deusen’s latest piece, As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise is one of the most ambitious, monumental, inspiring, and impressive albums in recent memory. The massive title seems like a mouthful, but that perfectly encapsulates the breadth and scope of this ginormous album. Few artists working today would have the courage to even attempt an album of this nature, and even fewer would be able to pull it off.

This 18-track hour long epic is nothing short of spectacular. John Van Deusen weaves together a huge array of different sounds and styles, yet the album never loses focus. Beginning with the opener “I Was Made to Praise” and continued throughout the rest of the album, As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise is a clear worship album, and that worship takes many unique forms. At times he’s asking questions, wrestling with difficult subjects, yet as seen in the album’s best song “By Gracious Powers,” he never loses sight of what’s true. Even in dark seasons, Van Deusen’s encouragement and challenge inspired from 2 Peter remains clear: As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise. (AL)

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Final Thoughts

That should give you enough music to last for a bit. Let us know what albums or music meant the most to you in 2025. We love to find more great music that we might have overlooked. Enjoy the playlist below that includes a song from each artist we highlighted above. Thanks so much for reading.