My Top 25 of 2025 (1)

If it's December, it must be time to start counting down my favourite records of the year. You know the drill...

25. Wet Leg – moisturizer

At the beginning of the year, I had this pegged as one of my most anticipated releases of 2025… so what went wrong? Weight of expectation? A concerted effort to go more mainstream? Rhian Teasdale’s clear desire to recreate herself as some kind of sexy femme-rock icon? (See how she’s changed.)

 (Small m) moisturizer is far from a disaster, but it’s not as smart as it thinks it is – songs named after davina mccall, pokemon and mangetout promise more than they deliver, and the consistent lack of capital letters just smacks this English teacher as trying too hard. When it works – as on the thrilling lead single Catch These Fists – there’s still hope to be had… but there’s nothing as strong or as joyously witty as Chaise Longue or even Wet Dream… and at times, it comes dangerously close to sounding like Republica. Still, maybe that’s what the kids are looking for these days. I very much doubt Rhian and Hester are interested in the opinions of a weird 53 year old blogger as long as they can keep selling out the arenas…

Wet Leg - CPR

Difficult second album syndrome?

24. Bret McKenzie – Freak Out City

Formerly half of Flight of the Conchords, Bret McKenzie released his debut solo album Songs Without Jokes back in 2022, and it was a moderate favourite of mine for its Randy Newman-flavoured observation songwriting. Having been a huge Conchords fan, all it needed to lift it to the next level was… a few more jokes.

Well, they’re still largely absent on his follow-up record, but I continue to dig the profoundly 70s vibe – more debts to Newman, and the occasional steal from Stealer’s Wheel…

Bret McKenzie - Freak Out City

23. Nervous Twitch – The Day Job Gets In The Way

A new discovery from Leeds, which gets them extra marks, and this went down well with Brian, CC and The Swede, so I figured I better squeeze it into my countdown. Nervous Twitch are partying like it’s 1979 – and there’s everything right about that. Further investigation reveals this isn’t actually their debut – they’ve been bashing away at this malarkey for quite some time. Further investigation required…

Nervous Twitch – My Mum’s An Anarchist

My Top 22 of 2022: #22-20

Another top year, eh? The less said the better.

Still, at least there's been some decent music. Beginning today, I'll be counting down my Top 22 albums of 2022. Here's the first three...

22. Bret McKenzie - Songs Without Jokes

The news that half of the Flight of the Conchords duo was releasing his debut solo album got me very excited earlier this year, although the title "Songs Without Jokes" had me worried... because I love with songs with jokes. The critical consensus that serious music should be bereft of gags is one I'm continually railing against... and will continue to do so later in this countdown. 

As part of the FOTC, and on various movie soundtracks, Bret McKenzie has shown himself to be adept in a wide range of musical styles, from rock to rap, though his heart clearly belongs to the classic 70s singer-songwriters. Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson and James Taylor are heavy influences on this record, with a splash of yacht rock thrown in for good measure. In that, it pushes all the right buttons for me... though I wouldn't have minded a few more... y'know... jokes.

Bret McKenzie - This World

Bret McKenzie - A Little Tune

21. Midland - The Last Resort: Greetings From

In comparison with the last few years, there are fewer country and Americana records in my countdown of 2022. That might be because there haven't been many big releases from my favourite artists, or it could be that my tastes are swinging back in other directions. Probably a combination of the two.

Midland are as country as it gets. Well, "Neotraditional" country, whatever that is. I think it means they wear big hats. To me, they sound like The Eagles, if The Eagles had come from Texas and never stopped off at the Hotel California. They're hard-luck, heartbroken, heavy-drinking bar band types, though their music is pretty upbeat, with a second splash of yacht rock (twice in one post!) to keep me smiling.  

This is their third album, and it doesn't appears to have done half as well on the US Country charts as the first two. No idea why; I enjoyed it just as much.

Midland - King Of Saturday Night

Midland - Sunrise Tells The Story

20. Death Cab For Cutie - Asphalt Meadows

DCFC's 10th album was conceived under lockdown, with band members building the tracks remotely, in a process lead singer Ben Gibbard describes as ""chain-letter songwriting". As with all Death Cab albums, it's a slow burner, but given time it gets under your skin and plays with your emotions. As with a lot of the records in this countdown, it's about growing old, even though these guys are still in their 40s. Spring chickens.

In every movie I watch from the '50s

There's only one thought that swirls

Around my head now

And that's that everyone there on the screen

Yeah, everyone there on the screen

Well, they're all dead now

They're all dead now

Death Cab For Cutie - Here To Forever

Death Cab for Cutie - Asphalt Meadows