OLD ROOKIE’S FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2025

This time of year, every year, I go back and look at my running list of new albums I enjoyed. Surely, 40, 50, 60 records is way too many to highlight. Like clockwork, I attempt to pair down to a tight 20 or something remotely more manageable for someone to consume. In the skimming process, inevitably, just as many records are added to the list.

I’ve come to understand the entire “Old Rookie” enterprise is to highlight good music, share with the community who chooses to engage, who like me, is looking to feel something new, tap into the vibrations of life and spread the wealth. Fortunately, there was a lot of great releases this year.

As someone who listens to music not for sport, I’ve come to realize that discovering new records, sharing them, talking about them is what I love most. Artist discovery occurs in many ways. Friends pass along something. An artist you admire name drops one of their favorites in an interview, streaming app algorithms.. occasionally… serve you up something meaningful in your life.

I hope this list can be a source of that for you. For someone. If one person finds an artist they like and buys a record or goes to a show, that’s my way of feeding the ecosystem that most feeds me.

Below is an unranked list of favorite records & EPs of the year. Listen to the playlist at the bottom:

Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band – New Threats From The Soul

Earlier this year I saw RYAN DAVIS & THE ROADHOUSE BAND open up for MJ Lenderman and left the show with all the fuzzy feelings of discovering a new favorite band. Dancing On The Edge became a routine listen. It’s musicianship, writing, long form story songs are full of fresh energy, wit and humor. Delightfully, 7 new songs were delivered this year in the form of New Threats From The Soul.

Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override

Jeff Tweedy remains a relentless explorer trudging on in the name of music and act of creating. Our senses are constantly flooded these days, so why not overload on Tweedy songs. Twilight Override is a 3-disc, two hour + journey filled with inner thoughts, family, collaborators, proclamations and questions, which is to say, life.

S.G. Goodman – Planting By The Signs

S.G. Gooman’s music sounds like how it feels. Straight from the soil. She’s one of today’s writers who can summon the ghosts. Planting By The Signs is a record that reminds you of life. It’s loving, longing, nostalgic and existential.

Esther Rose – Want

Few compare to Esther Rose’s ability to capture the human experience in song. WANT was my most played single record of the year. It was a period of internal reflection and this record was a guide to digging deeper, un-peeling layers of the self, questioning what you really want in life and giving weight to those realizations, both good and bad.

Flock of Dimes – The Life You Save

Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton – Live at The Legion

This was the year I went full blown Billy-head. I’ve written about the Billy Strings Experience, but for the bluegrass traditionalists, this collection of songs alongside guitarist Bryan Sutton showcase the breadth of history in Billy’s fingers and well, strings.

Geese – Getting Killed

Emily Hines – These Days

Glyders – Forever

Automatic – Is It Now?

Post punk indie electronic whatever ya wanna call it. The LA trio knows how to muster up the good stuff. Run baby run.

Lily Seabird – Trash Mountain

This record came out in the spring, didn’t find it until this summer, sounds even better this fall. Recorded in Vermont near Lily Seabird’s home base. There’s a serenity of acoustic strumming, Neil-ish harmonica and moments of near electric explosion. It’s ripe with energy, but feels delicate.

Liam Kazar – Pilot Light

One of those slow to unfold records that leaves you with a different favorite song each time through. Been a longtime fan of Liam Kazar various projects and collaborations with Sam Evian, Hannah Cohen, Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee, Jeff Tweedy and other Chi/KC luminaries. Beautifully blended folk rock jazz country music, all the good stuff. Will be listening to Pilot Light for a long time.

Wednesday – Bleeds

Karly Hartzman & krew aka Wednesday new record Bleeds is soaring and searing. North Carolina might be the rock capitol of USA these days.

Bon Iver – SABLE, fable

Cooper Kenward – haha i’m sad

Dean Johnson – I Hope We Can Still Be Friends

Colin Miller – Losin’

Asheville, Carolina native, Colin Miller has a steady output of solo material since 2020’s My Love In The Winter EP and a small handful of shorter projects. In Losin,’ there are elements of deep grief in the songs, but a poppy airiness that make it an enjoyable listen throughout. There are tunes with hushed lyrics, and driving and drony songs all with a very human spirit.

Steve Gunn – Daylight Daydream

Steve Gunn has always been a master of creating beds of soundscapes to get lost in, but it seems lately he’s turned up the exploration while turning down the volume. Electric guitar solos, through still present to a degree feel distant and fewer and in between. The percussion is more subtle. Beautiful arrangements and ambiance fill the space – Space is what he does best. There’s a lightness and air to his music. After a few fantastic instrumental side projects, it’s nice to hear Gunns floating voice, familiar and faint. Daylight Daydream is just that.

Circling Sun – Orbits

Chip Wickham – The Eternal Now

Jonny Fritz – Debbie Downers

Leather worker, real estate agent and one of the best to write a song, Jonny Fritz came out of music hibernation to make a helluva a new record Debbie Downers and apparently there’s 3 more recorded versions on the way. One can only imagine what’s up his sleeve. He’s truly one of a kind and like his previous material Debbie Downers is hilarious, heartfelt and downright good at crafting a tune.

Matthew Herbert, Momoko Gill – Clay

Okonski – Entrance Music

Cass McCombs – Interior Live Oak

Brown Spirits – Cosmic Seeds

Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow

As much as intregral as the 400 Unit is, Jason Isbell’s songs are sometimes served best just the writer, singer and guitar. Foxes In The Snow is a stripped down affair, but it feels like it possesses some classics in the Isbell cannon.

Big Thief – Double Infinity

It felt like the Big Thief album was dismissed rather quickly. One of the great modern bands, this record gets better with time and reveals itself to be a special one.

Shrunken Elvis – Shrunken Elvis

Though not what you think when you think “Nashville Sound” The trio of Rich Ruth, Spencer Cullum Jr. and Sean Thompson absolutely embodies the ambition, talent and creative spirit of Nashville. The self-titled record from the supergroup trio, three incredibly talented solo artists in their own right, explores all types of sound and feeling, allowing them all to showcase what they do best. Dare anyone not to melt right into this record.

Pino Palladino & Black Mills – That Wasn’t A Dream

The 2nd collaborative album from the world renowned bassist Pino Palladino and producer/instrumentalist Blake Mills pushes sound even further than the first. 7 individual pieces of music make for a journey of experimental jazz, acoustic guitar and distorted drums.

Fust – Big Ugly

Tobacco City – Horses

Florry – Sounds Like..

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Greg Freeman – Burnover

Earl Sweatshirt – Live Laugh Love

Jake Xerxes Fussell & James Elkington – Rebuilding S/T

Makaya McCraven – Hidden Out!

Makaya McCraven’s recent compilation Off The Record features 4 separate EPs of projects. The highlight, Hidden Out! is a live performance from the legendary Chicago venue, The Hideout. It features fellow fav Jeff Parker, Junius Paul and Josh Johnson improvising during a residency run in 2017.

Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears – Head In The Sand