The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025

10. Heartworms – Glutton For Punishment (Speedy Wunderground)

Heartworms’ Glutton For Punishment is a series of tight switches and feints. The beat on “Jacked” whips the air in dry circles before one of the best lead guitar riffs of the past few years, and then we’re onward to pure steel tones underpinning a breathy, doubled vocal that grows into all manner of sharp spitting or drawn-out syllables as the words demand.

While each song moves through distinct sections, it never feels like a streaming service playing previews; everything fits and grows intelligently out of the previous moment, with endless movement, continuous drama, and provocation – in a world of songs built like basic boxes of 2×4 timber, this is next-generation nanotech engineering. – Nick Soulsby

9. Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory (Jagjaguwar)

For the first time, Sharon Van Etten wrote a record in collaboration with her backing band, now known as the Attachment Theory, and the music sounds different from what we have come to expect. She described finding a certain freedom in relinquishing control; paradoxically, that liberation comes through in synth-heavy, manufactured sounds. While the sonics are dark and gloomy, the group achieves moments of colossal scope, like the outstanding “Southern Light”. 

The influences the band draws upon include New Order and Thin White Duke-era David Bowie, but Van Etten’s powerhouse vocals remain front and center, exemplified by the unlikely hit “Idiot Box”. While the record drives forward at a certain velocity, Van Etten’s stable presence keeps things consistent throughout. After hitting play, listeners may find themselves transported to the depths of a gothic cabaret, but they will eventually emerge into the familiar light of day. – Patrick Gill

8. SPRINTS – All That Is Over (Sub Pop)

“Swimming” is such a kick-ass song, and like much of what SPRINTS have made in their first six years, its lyrics are deeply personal, but the garage-rock heft of guitarists Chubb and Zach Stephenson, bassist Sam McCann, and drummer Jack Callan pulls everyone in. SPRINTS’ excellent new album, All That Is Over, surprisingly moves beyond this communal bodily response and appears more interested in the individual spirit. SPRINTS remain emotive but more polished and reflective, questioning rather than acting—though often admitting defeat as the songs grow louder and Chubb’s voice grows rawer. The result is an album still rooted in a sinking city, but instead of swimming, it’s reaching for the stars. – John Lennon

7. Big Thief – Double Infinity (4AD)

On Big Thief’s sixth studio album, Double Infinity, Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia return as a three-piece, which does not include the host of studio musicians that contribute to the LP. The recording was marked by long bike rides from Brooklyn to the Power Station, the renowned Hell’s Kitchen studio, which allowed them to bond in new ways.  

Throughout the album, the band maintains their egalitarian approach, which extends beyond songcraft to encompass their worldview. Maybe it’s because they are now a trio, but their interplay sounds freer. As always, Lenker conveys deep feelings about the world around her, not to mention the vitality that courses within her. After a decade since their formation, Big Thief continue to reach for the sublime, capturing moments that suggest the impossible is almost within reach. – Patrick Gill

6. Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On (Matador)

Horsegirl, those promising students of indie rock, formed in Chicago while in high school (in a School of Rock program, no less). Their debut album nodded to 1980s and 1990s luminaries, such as Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Belle & Sebastian, Pavement, and bands from Australia’s acclaimed Flying Nun label. Since then, they have relocated to New York, and Phonetics On and On is the natural progression for their second full-length release. It sidesteps the stereotypical “sophomore slump”, often hindered by a contrived attempt to replicate success. 

The songs are well-crafted, demonstrating a deep understanding of classic indie rock, while the subtle experimentation (e.g., violin, Gamelan, bells, and organ) keeps things fresh and engaging. The band has already proven their authenticity, and with Phonetics On and On, they move beyond their influences, carving out a distinct identity shaped by time and life experience. The album finds the students blossoming with confidence, beginning to define themselves as more than an imitation act. –
Brandon Miller 

5. Greg Freeman – Burnover (Transgressive)

It’s hard to believe Greg Freeman started off as a run-of-the-mill Modest Mouse devotee. On Burnover, his sophomore effort, the Burlington, Vermont musician proves he’s more than ready to take his craft to the next level. The songs are rooted in New England, and that sense of place grounds the work. It allows for more mature themes to take hold, eventually gripping listeners and refusing to let go. 

The album is consistent and mature, not qualities previously associated with the burgeoning songwriter. There is still a D.I.Y. element to his style, but that quality is far surpassed by the consistency of his music, which ranges from blistering rock (“Gulch”) to barstool meanderings (“Curtain”), not to mention one sweeping epic (“Burnover”). Once listeners get past his voice—or come to fully appreciate it—there’s plenty of substance here, a number of legendary tales worth unpacking. – Patrick Gill

4. Courting – Lust for Life, Or: How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story (Lower Third)

The Liverpool quartet Courting return with their third album in three years. Lust for Life covers a lot of ground in just over 25 minutes. Most of these songs are the same strong pop-rock that is their wheelhouse, but the more unusual choices are fascinating. Courting pack a lot of superb material into such a short running time. Every one of Lust for Life‘s eight tracks is interesting, and most are unique. Their slightly off-kilter take on guitar rock is rewarding, and the way the end of the album matches up with the beginning is very successful.

The middle of Lust for Life features three tracks that align with Courting’s primary sound. “Namcy” is bright and upbeat, with Murphy-O’Neill speaking and singing his way through a song about new love and getting way ahead of yourself with future plans. Guitarist Joshua Cope strings roughly three different catchy riffs through the track, while the vocal declarations of “Get me away from here, I’m dying” and “French exit, Irish goodbye” are very sticky. – Chris Conaton

3. Wednesday – Bleeds (Dead Oceans)

Wednesday, along with guitarist MJ Lenderman (who will no longer be touring with the band), have been on a steady upward trajectory that makes it almost impossible to live up to the hype. Still, Wednesday deliver another remarkable record that showcases Karly Hartzmann’s gift for storytelling and wry, dark humor. Case in point, the loose and rambling “Phish Pepsi” includes one of their most memorable lines to date: “We watched a Phish concert and Human Centipede / Two things I now wish I’d never seen.”  

Notwithstanding “Elderberry Wine”, the subdued, country-tinged lead single, this is the group’s most adventurous set to date.  Bleeds can be open-hearted at times without sacrificing any of their more potent calling cards. They showcase a seemingly effortless mix of country, indie rock, and shoegaze that proves utterly irresistible. Hartzmann remains one of the most compelling vocalists and storytellers in music, and the rest of the band has never sounded better. – Brian Stout

2. Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band – New Threats From the Soul (Sophomore Lounge)

He did it again. To our collective surprise and delight, Ryan Davis’ sophomore effort matches the brilliance of the Louisville singer-songwriter’s unheralded debut. New Threats From the Soul, which he performs with the Roadhouse Band, features another seven jam-packed tracks that require ample time for listeners to fully appreciate. 

Davis will forever be compared to David Berman, but his songs are bursting with ideas to the point that it can be hard to parcel out the meaning of each (leading to revelations when you finally do). His arrangements go beyond simple alt-country structures. Pedal steel and fiddle are present, yes, but also flute, tape loops, programming, and strings. If New Threats From the Soul asks for a little more work on the part of his fanbase, that’s OK. Davis is ultimately carrying the torch for those still trying to make sense of this banal yet transcendent existence. – Patrick Gill

1. Geese – Getting Killed (Partisan)

On their third album, the buzzworthy Brooklyn band, led by Cameron Winter (who released an impressive solo album earlier in the year), finally made the splash everyone had been waiting for. Since they hit the scene, Geese’s music zigzagged from brilliant to unlistenable and back to brilliant again. Often regarded as too clever for their own good, they lead with abrasive elements that tend to alienate listeners, no doubt convincing some pretty hip people they are just too old to give them a go.

Fear not, because while their latest record hits with the same intensity as previous works, the band have finally come into their own. The offering features horns, tribal beats, and funky grooves, while being palatable enough for late-night TV and mass consumption. They incorporate soothing moments (“Au Pays Du Cocaine”) to counterbalance the unbridled fervor for which they have become known (“100 Horses”). Finally, their abstract leanings have coalesced into a singular vision. Not since Can has a band sounded so ahead of their time and yet indebted to the styles that came before, making Getting Killed a key contribution to the zeitgeist. – Patrick Gill