2025 YEAR IN REVIEW: Our Annual Mixtapes Ft. Our Favorite Songs of the Year, Pt. 2 (053-001)

Our final two mixtapes of 2025 detail our favorite songs of the year, ranked in order because art should be ranked, goddammit. These aren't the best, just our favorites, so to us they are the best is what I'm trying to say. To you? Unlikely. But see if you can find a few you like.

MIXTAPE #2: PICKLED PRIEST'S FAVORITE SONGS 052-027

SIDE A

052 SUNFLOWER BEAN | "I Knew Love"

Blurb: I'm hot and cold with Sunflower Bean, but this Jenny Lewis-esque ballad really gets to me, like bittersweet love songs often do. The wistful chorus belies the true story, where it is revealed that the singer has knowingly orchestrated her own melancholy due to her penchant for cruelty and self-destruction.

Moment of Conversion: Pretty chorus sits atop a psychological landmine.

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051 SAINT ETIENNE | "Glad"

Blurb: Leave it to Saint Etienne to write one of the saddest joyful songs of the year (more of those to come). If you're like me, you relish such dichotomies in your pop songs. All I know is that the song bursts from the heart, carrying with it the full range of emotions, much like a well-lived life.

Moment of Conversion: Punchy backbeat.

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050 SAY SHE SHE | "Cut & Rewind"

Blurb: Say She She is bringing back the Saturday night fever one album at a time and their third record, Cut & Rewind, unabashedly mixes disco with some R&B and funk vibes just for kicks. Add some sweet three-part harmonies and stir. They are from Brooklyn, home of the 2001 Odyssey, so it just feels on point. The title-track leans new wave, but it's eminently danceable nonetheless.

Moment of Conversion: Klaus Nomi-esque nod in the chorus.

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049 ANNA VON HAUSSWOLF | "Struggle with the Beast"

Blurb: Anna's new album, Iconoclasts, came to me later in the listening season and it's a full meal at 72-minutes, but it's been getting some serious acclaim already. Last time I checked in with her was on a 2022 live set at the Montreux Jazz Festival sitting behind her church pipe organ wailing like a banshee to a stunned crowd. Indeed, there is no one quite like her doing exactly what she does (hence the album title is very fitting). I've been listening to her new record lately and it's literally a beast. In fact, I just can't get enough of "Struggle with the Beast," a song that explodes with "holy shit" moments for almost nine-minutes. If you're looking for a song that sounds exactly like someone struggling with a beast, you've found it.

Moment of Conversion: Maelstrom at 6:50 mark.

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048 JAMES YORKSTON | "A Moment Longer"

Blurb: Oh my, the charm of this song. It gets me every time. It makes me feel like we're living in an alternate reality where the holding of a hand was still a major aspiration, just like when the Beatles asked for it back in 1964. Domino Records mainstay James Yorkston has joined forces with the Cardigans' Nina Persson on this track, and if you're looking for a little old-fashioned discretion, you've found it. Gorgeous.

Moment of Conversion: The innocence of it all.

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047 KENDRA MORRIS | "In My House"

Blurb: Kendra can do it all, of course, so no worries when she dabbles in this playful jazzy number with a mid-section that approximates rap, if not completely indebted to it. The song talks about one's messy spaces, be they a house or a mind, and the control one has, or doesn't have, over them. It's a cool little trick, but at least the dogs get to lounge around on the furniture when she's not home.

Moment of Conversion: Her dog in the video.

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046 KEN POMEROY | "Pareidolia"

Blurb: I like songs where you learn something while you listen. Pareidolia is the concept of seeing faces in conventional objects, like a house facade or the grill of an automobile. It's one of those terms we probably didn't need at all, but have anyway, so thanks to Native American singer/songwriter Ken Pomeroy, we all know what it is once and for all. Feel free to trot this one out at your next party. I first discovered Pomeroy when she was the opening act on a John Moreland tour last year, and even then you could tell she had a pretty keen eye for detail in her understated folk songs. They just stick with you.

Moment of Conversion: I guess a cruel joke is all we can afford.

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045 USE KNIFE | "Iraqi Drum Set"

Blurb: Belgium's ominously-named Use Knife have an Iraqi lead singer, post their lyrics on Bandcamp in Arabic, and titled their new album État Coupable, which is French for "Guilty State," so it would be fair to wonder what the fuck their music might sound like. You'd be right to assume a political concern or two, but on "Iraqi Drum Set" all you get it what the title promises—seven-minutes of mind-altering percussion that'll put you into a trance for the duration. The blood-red video will usher you through the types of drums involved, but I almost don't want to know. The mystery is part of the appeal. If you've been saving your volume for just the right song, you've found it my friend.

Moment of Conversion: I'm going to stretch and say the drums.

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044 THE EX | "The Evidence"

Blurb: As with every song on their new album, If Your Mirror Breaks, drummer Katherina Bornefeld is the catalyst, which is quite a surprise considering the band has three dazzling guitarists. I guess we should have figured that out on track one which is titled "Beat Beat Drums" but we're not that bright. She is positively amazing on this track and not afraid of the cowbell at all, let's put it that way. Oh, and she looks like a grey-haired librarian, which makes her even more wicked cool. "The Evidence" a blazing track with a power thrust that seems unstoppable from the first guitar riff.

Moment of Conversion: More cowbell!

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043 THROWING MUSES | "Summer of Love"

Blurb: Kristin Hersh, whether solo or with Throwing Muses (a band now over 40 years old!), still sounds vital, thanks to a voice that can crawl into and make a nest in your subconscious. It commands and haunts me from within, making each poetic word out of her mouth seem like a life or death proposition. One of those instantly identifiable and welcome feelings, much like a Michael Stipe vocal (who she has collaborated with) or a Mark Lanegan growl (who she has not). She's got that intangible gift for transforming a song. "Summer of Love" kicks off the band's new record, Midnight Concessions (a take on the Grass Roots Midnight Confessions, I presume). It's had me wrapped in its arms from the first time I heard it.

Moment of Conversion: I owe you a buck. For what exactly?

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042 THE TUBS | "Chain Reaction"

Blurb: Creators of our #1 album of 2023 (Dead Meat), the Tubs are back with their second full-length and it’s a worthy follow up to that instant classic. Plenty of what I loved about that record resurfaces again on Cotton Crown, which is a good thing. Great vocals with just the right amount of resignation to the fates and a band that opts for a little distortion and muddiness in lieu of crystal clarity. It suits the overall mood, which is a little downtrodden and desperate at times.

Moment of Conversion:

I am a scammer in the world of love

I take it all and I won't give it

I'm the mould on the bathroom floor

The creeping dread, the balance limit

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041 ROBERT PLANT | "It's a Beautiful Day Today"

Blurb: I am totally digging the new Robert Plant covers album. It's an earthy affair, restrained and atmospheric like his two stylistically similar releases with Alison Krauss. This time he's paired up with relatively unknown folk singer Suzi Dian and the results are captivating once again. He has a way of settling into a mystical mood like almost no other person, just like he did back in his heyday. I really like the consistency of Saving Grace, too, despite the variety of source material. It just floats by like a blast of summer wind on a hot, muggy day. "It's a Beautiful Day Today," a Moby Grape cover, is one of those songs that's welcome anytime you hear it, better than the original, but in these times it also acts as a reminder that there's promise in every day if you go out and find it.

Moment of Conversion: Wordless vocals.

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040 SUEDE | "Trance State"

Blurb: I've already ranked Suede's latest album high on my Top 50 Albums list, but I worried about the inevitable task of picking a track to represent the record on this mixtape. With so many rafter-shaking possibilities, the choice wasn't obvious. I ended up on "Trance State," this time because it pushed the albums borders out a little bit and they use the extra space brilliantly.

Moment of Conversion: Brett Anderson: Full Throttle. In theaters next summer.

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SIDE B

039 ALLO DARLIN' | "Northern Waters"

Blurb: London's Allo Darlin', dormant for a decade, are back with a record that is a joy to listen to, mainly because it can be played at any time for anyone and nobody is going to complain. Their accessible brand of indie-pop hits the spot for me, with most of their new LP, Bright Nights, settling into a pleasing gait that will relax your soul after a long, hard day. Credit Elizabeth Morris's beautifully weathered voice for much of the record's success. She can make anything sound good.

Moment of Conversion: The sweetness of music is mine...

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038 SLOAN | "Dream Destroyer"

Blurb: Nova Scotia's Sloan are cult favorites in the US, but in Canada they're legends. For me, all I need is the one or two ringers they include on each album. The rest, while just fine, tend to blend in with the wallpaper. To their credit, they've hung around a long fucking time mainly because Canadians grow and support their own. Once beloved, always beloved, like an old left winger on the Maple Leafs. "Dream Destroyer" is a glam-rock gem from their fourteenth LP (see what I mean), Based on the Best Seller, the title a coy little nod to their wonder years when they were at their peak of popularity. I've gotta say they sound the same to me as they always did.

Moment of Conversion: A glammy tale.

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037 THE HIGH & MIGHTY | "Bake McBride"

Blurb: If you name a song "Bake McBride" I'm gonna listen to it. And it had better live up to its name, too. Bake was a fixture on the baseball cards of my youth and I always felt bad for his big, beautiful afro, which always got matted underneath his baseball cap. Surely an exemption could've be made, Mr. Commissioner! "Shake 'n Bake" was a Phillies legend, cemented when he was a starter for the 1980 World Series champs. He was one of the best outfielders in the game at the time and had a distinct style as well. The boys in The High & Mighty know this well, being from Philly and all, so they put their all into this track which lives up to the man's name and also the name of the band itself. It's high and it's mighty, full of grit, toughness, and groove, just like you would hope. It's at least fully-baked, borderline double-baked.

Moment of Conversion: Song title. Yep, that's all it takes sometimes.

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036 ORCUTT SHELLEY MILLER | "A Long Island Wedding"

Blurb: This album takes listeners on a journey from a "Funeral in L.A." to "A Long Island Wedding" in thirty-three minutes. From my #23 album of 2025 comes the latter, but I wouldn't recommend using it for the father-daughter dance. The power-trio of Bill Orcutt, Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), and Ethan Miller (Comets on Fire) end the record with its most brilliant track, sounding like they've been playing together for years and not just a half hour. It's amazing what can result when you put three likeminded noisemakers in the same room.

Moment of Conversion: Intuitive interplay.

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035 JULIEN BAKER & TORRES | "Sugar in the Tank"

Blurb: Two notables from the new breed of women singer/songwriters hook up for this stellar single from their new country record, Send a Prayer My Way, and they really have a knack for this stuff. I love how understated the track is, letting a relatively simple love song play out at its own relaxed pace, remembering to include a catchy chorus as well. They're writing more interesting country songs than most of those who do it full-time.

Moment of Conversion: Chemistry.

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034 FLORRY | "First it Was a Movie, Then It Was a Book"

Blurb: Early in this song comes a riff that reminds me of the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" after a few shots of whiskey, and that's gotta be considered a positive read, doesn't it? This song is basically a showcase for Francie Medosch and she basks in the spotlight, laughing and grinning and showing off when the moment calls for it. I really like the idea of hanging out with a band as they create. You never know when a moment of brilliance with strike. This song is one of those cherished moments. You'll wish you were there when it was going down.

Moment of Conversion: Francie Medosch's casual brilliance both on guitar and vox.

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033 ADRIAN QUESADA FT. ANGELICA GARCIA | "No Juego"

Blurb: The sequel we knew we needed but didn’t know would come, Adrian Quesada has given us installment dos of his Psicodelicos Boleros series (yes “Psychedelic Boleros” in translation). After the first volume, this is a refreshing boost to a year in need of a little more international flavor. As an added bonus, Adrian ups the ante by adding two time Pickled Priest Top 50 Albums list-maker Angelica Garcia to the invite list. Her vocal on “No Juego” is as intoxicating as a bottle of cachaça and just as potent.

Moment of Conversion: Fiery cameo from Angelica.

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032 JONATHAN RICHMAN | "Black Bat"

Blurb: Always keep a little Jonathan Richman handy. You never know when you'll need an open-hearted, unabashed, and sometimes downright goofy guy around to lighten the mood a bit. I don't quite know what this song is or what it's about, but "Little Black Bat" makes me happier than most other songs released in 2025 so far. Do yourself a favor and invest in his new album, Only Frozen Sky Anyway as well. It's one of those records you'll need when the world gets too heavy.

Moment of Conversion: When Jonathan stops to explain the song, like it helps at all.

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031 WOLF ALICE | "Bread Butter Tea Sugar"

Blurb: This is one handsome/sexy rock band, that's for sure, depending on whom you're looking at. Each and every one of them could work in the role of "rock god," especially dynamic frontwoman, Ellie Roswell. The band's been threatening a major breakthrough for years, but hasn't quite become the household name you'd expect. It's not the fault of their new record, The Clearing, however. It's loaded up with some pretty convincing rock songs of all different varieties. "Bread Butter Tea Sugar" is my favorite, especially when paired with a dry red slathered in melted butter and rolled in a pan of pure cane sugar.

Moment of Conversion: Don't want a dish without salt, bread without butter, tea without sugar... So rock and roll!

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030 THE CORDS | "Fabulist"

Blurb: We have shitty boyfriends to thank for a lot of things, but "Fabulist" from the Cords is at the top of my list currently. A new Scottish duo consisting of Eve and Grace Tedeschi (no relation to American blueswoman Susan), they play an indie-styled brand of jangle-pop that seems destined for big things when the songs from their stellar new record start to spread like wildfire, which they should and will if things go according to plan. "Fabulist" is one of those doomed relationship songs that sounds so upbeat you don't even care what it's about. Look deeper at your discretion if so inclined, but spoiler alert: the guy is self-involved.

Moment of Conversion: Power-jangle. New genre?

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029 SPRINTS | "Descartes"

Blurb: 

Vanity is the curse of culture

I won’t, and can’t, get too deep into modern philosophy—to my defense, Sprints force the issue here—but I do like how fifteenth century philosopher Rene Descartes approached perplexing issues as if no one had written about them before. Question everything, in other words. Philosophy, like art, is often not a choice for those involved—it’s a compulsion, a calling. He’d surely tell you that if he hadn’t died 375 years ago. It’s not something you can just turn off and on like a light switch. Which is where Dublin’s Sprints enter the equation. They’re a relatively new concern, with two excellent EPs (the second, A Modern Job, Pickled Priest’s #1 EP of 2022) and an acclaimed debut, 2024’s Letter to Self, released so far. “Descartes,” plucked from their latest record, All That is Over, is as broad and challenging as its title suggests, asking heavy questions and proposing irrefutable truths (see captioned quote above) on common subjects with a compelling new perspective.

Moment of Conversion: One of the vocal performances of the year from Karla Chubb.

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028 PERFUME GENIUS ft. ALDOUS HARDING | "No Front Teeth"

Blurb: This inspired pairing of Mike Hadreas (aka Perfume Genius) and New Zealand alt-folk artist Aldous Harding promised much and delivered more. As usual with a PG track, there’s a feeling of something vitally important going on, but it’s never quite defined. Just two remarkable talents doing what they do best with captivating results. I rarely say this, but the video is a must watch, a true piece of outsider art, although it really doesn't explain much. My favorite comment from YouTube was, "This video took an unexpected turn. Thankfully, it then took an unexpected turn. Sadly, the video then took an unexpected turn. I was not ready when the video then took an unexpected turn." Or the one that simply wrote, "This happened to me once." Both fabulous in their own way.

Moment of Conversion: Harding cameo.

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027 SAME EYES | "It's Casual"

Blurb: With the benefit of time, even the most dismissed sounds can come back from the dead. I find myself enjoying some synth hits from the 80s lately when I didn't even like them in the first place. I think I just realized there are some great songs, singers, and hooks to be found underneath that processed music. Witness Same Eyes from Michigan and their update of the reviled artificiality of the 80s, which now seems not so decadent and stylized compared to now. And it's delicately executed at a high level, too. "It's Casual" sounds like it could've been on the radio back then, right between the Human League and Kajagoogoo, and nobody would've questioned it.

Moment of Conversion: That they pull this off so brilliantly.

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MIXTAPE #1: PICKLED PRIEST'S FAVORITE SONGS 026-001

SIDE A

026 PACO CATHCART | "Oh, Joy"

Blurb: "Oh, Joy" manages to take what seems to be a sad song and injects some hope and promise into it, like there's still something to salvage from all of this bullshit we endure. The song's simple, understated, triumphant chorus makes that all seem possible.

Moment of Conversion: Yearning chorus lifts you up from your knees.

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025 WITCH | "Kamusale"

Blurb: I love a song that comes ripping out of the gate and sets the tone for an entire album. "Kamusale" does just that, bringing with it a raw, nasty streak that I dig supremely. This is Zamrock seasoned with a local spice of unknown origin and potency.

Moment of Conversion: Guitar bite.

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024 THE CHARLATANS | "We Are Love"

Blurb: While everyone, including me, was fawning over the latest installment of Suede 2.0, another band from the early-90s returned with a great record of their own which got far less press. That album is We Are Love, and our song choice is the title track of the record. To me, it sounds like another hit single worthy of the same company as "The Only One I Know."

Moment of Conversion: The return of that familiar sound.

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023 POPULATION II | "La Trippance"

Blurb: The centerpiece track from the latest record by French-Canadian psyche rockers, Population II (verbally, "Population Two"). They've been all over out lists in recent history, so this record's quality is not a surprise. On the Montreal band's latest, Maintenant Jamais (Now Never), they deliver on the promise of their early work, sounding even more unpredictable and expansive than they have previously, which is saying something. "La Trippance" proves that this kind of chaotic noise often sounds better with French lyrics, allowing your mind to soak in all the varying sounds without being bogged down by lyrical content. Nobody needs that.

Moment of Conversion: Guitars enter at 0:50.

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022 JIM GHEDI | "Sheaf & Feld"

Blurb: If I've learned one thing from reading British music magazines, it's to not give too much credence to their folk music reviews. British folk music is rooted in a long, rich history—much longer than that of the US—and while these artists may strike a chord with the locals, much of the time the music doesn't translate to the common listener in the US of A. Brits don't care a lick about that irrefutable fact. They're not making music for us anyway. Which is not to say this traditional brand of music doesn't resonate with me at times. It most certainly does, just not to the tune of ten folk records a month rated four stars or more. That said, I do love a strolling minstrel in my gallery, with an acoustic guitar, fiddle, flute, pennywhistle or a set of bagpipes in accompaniment. It's the perfect way to commune with the past and learn some local lore in the process. Jim Ghedi is a folk artist from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, but he's not so in the traditional sense. He combines the tenets of folk with a more modern sensibility (plugged-in guitars, innovative production, other electronic accents) without losing the grounding in history so essential to the craft. His new album, Wasteland, is an amazing creation, one of my favorite records of 2025 (#30, to be exact) albeit a wholly different listen than anything I've heard in awhile. That's what makes it so appealing. One listen to the devastating "Sheaf & Feld" (an English folk title if there ever was one) will be all you need to see where you stand.

Moment of Conversion: When it descends into electric mayhem.

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021 BELAIR LIP BOMBS | "Cinema"

Blurb: Great guitars, perfect vocals, and clever lyrics combine to put this likeable Aussie rock band on our Top 25 songs list. The only question was which song? They've got a handful of shoulda-been hits on their new Third Man- released album, but "Cinema" was the song on my mind at the right time, plus it got me dancing a little bit, too. Not quite to "The Carlton" level of enthusiasm, but close.

Moment of Conversion: Light bop.

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020 ANNAHSTASIA | "Silk & Velvet"

Blurb: You want intimate? How about a voice whispering in your ear? Is that close enough for you? In the way too short "Silk and Velvet" (it should be ten minutes long, not 150 seconds). L.A.'s Annahstasia turns from struggling optimist to self-loathing pessimist mid-song with the flick of a light switch, and when she does it's one of the vocal moments of the year. Her new record, Tether, is among the debuts of the year as well. The record doesn't come easy, but it will hover in your airspace, establishing its presence, inhabiting your soul if you give it time to grow. That's what happened to me. One day I was on the periphery, the next I was on the inside.

Moment of Conversion: Maybe I'm a moralist...

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019 CIVIC | "Chrome Dipped"

Blurb: Civic has quietly landed their last two albums on our Top 25 Album lists (Future Forecast #22 in 2021 and Taken By Force #23 in 2023) and they’re back with more snarling Aussie rock and roll again in 2025, but this time they’re more ambitious. “Chrome Dipped,” the album's title track, adds a new heavy coating (hence the title) to their sound without losing the band’s original raw driving energy that we originally fell in love with.

Moment of Conversion: Heavy makes me happy.

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018 U.S. GIRLS | "Firefly on the 4th of July"

Blurb: Chicago's Meg Remy took off for Toronto at some point, which now seems like a smart move, and since then she's produced some of the most interesting pop music of the last decade, never settling for long on a particular style or sound, but always making sure you can dance to in some way. With her latest, Scratch It, which was recorded in Nashville, she's off again in a new intriguing direction, incorporating that country/soul hybrid you'll find when you head south on I-65 for an extended stretch. It has been compared to Cat Power's The Greatest, which is high praise around here. Scratch It does offer up a similar patient groove, but substitutes Meg's girlish vocals that sound imported from a pop single circa the late-60s. The album is like a prescription more than anything, a cure-all for a generic, lazy weekend day. I've chosen a song to represent, but there's nothing, really nothing to turn off.

Moment of Conversion: Everything but the creepy video.

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017 NADIA REID | "Baby Bright"

Blurb: Motherhood brings with it a special bond unlike any other, so it's not surprising that some great songs would result based on that life-changing development. It helps when your mom is an excellent songwriter with a voice that can move people without diva histrionics or a morsel of self-awareness. Nadia Reid has just such a pure voice. It captivates me every time I hear it. I can't imagine what it is going to be like for a little baby to hear late at night. Especially if the song has been written about you. I'm a little jealous to be honest.

Moment of Conversion: The first moment we hear her voice.

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016 SUNNY WAR | "One Way Train"

Blurb: Sunny War's new record, Armageddon in a Summer Dress, objectively a great title, is evidence that Sunny War has come a long way since being discovered busking around Venice Beach just over a decade ago. It also tells us that Sunny War means business. She has released a string of increasingly impressive records over the years which have shown an artist not afraid to push her own boundaries. "One Way Train" is an invitation to a different way of thinking, asking an odd yet strangely appealing question as its premise, Won't you meet me on the outskirts of my left brain? The song encourages a life dialed into a fresh perspective, stretching your common-sense receptors to their maximum limits in the process. 'Cause the world′s not a game, you don't have to win it / And there′s really no shame claiming every minute.

Moment of Conversion: The song shifts up a gear or two at 0:23.

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015 HORSEGIRL | "2468"

Blurb: I am in love with what, on paper, amounts to a pretty insubstantial song from Chicago's Horsegirl. It's three-and-a-quarter minutes in length with a 48-second lead-in and contains only seven different words in its "lyrics" (four of them numbers: two, four, six, & eight), not counting " da da das" which are not technically words. I don't know what it's about—Noah's Ark perhaps?—but that doesn't matter. It's a minimalist pop ditty produced by one of the queens of the craft, Cate Le Bon, and it makes my heart feel a little lighter every time I hear it.

Moment of Conversion: Wordless vox/production (tie).

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014 WATER FROM YOUR EYES | "Playing Classics"

Blurb: Earlier this year I picked "Life Signs" for a new music mixtape, but "Playing Classics" wins out in the end because it is so fucking peculiar, shapeshifting around every corner, delivering a sonic cocktail that makes for one of the weirdest dance tracks of the year.

Moment of Conversion: Calling out the shakes.

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SIDE B

013 MARLON WILLIAMS | "Pōkaia Rā te Marama"

Blurb: There was a restaurant near my house when I was younger that had a huge sign out front that read Polynesian Village in bold yellow lettering. We never went there for some reason and I always felt I was missing out on something special. I imagine this song is what it sounded like inside, but I can't be sure. The song is from an entirely different world than mine and I like that feeling. A place to forget about your own life for a while, to quote Billy Joel. New Zealand's Marlon Williams has created this world throughout his latest record, Te Whare Tiwekaweka. "Pōkaia" distills the whole exotic vibe into one song and once inside I'm convinced you'll want to stay all day.

Moment of Conversion: Entering another world.

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012 ROLE MODEL | "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out"

Blurb: The 1970s called. They want their hit song back. A song so catchy it can even sound good coming out of a cheap car radio or a transistor handheld that runs on a 9v battery.

Moment of Conversion: Without the chorus, the song is nothing.

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011 DES DEMONAS | "Obsession"

Blurb: "Obsession" is right. The opening track of Des Demonas' album Apocalyptic Boom! Boom! (these guys are amazing at titling things) is a short, two-minute garage rock hors d'oeuvre to whet your appetite for the next 45-minutes with one of America's most underrated rock bands.

Moment of Conversion: Opening/closing organ.

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010 PERENNIAL | "Baby, Are You Abstract?

Blurb: In 2024, Perennial released an album called Art History, which got some cult attention. This year, that album got re-released with bonus singles, remixes, extra tracks, and rough cuts as "A" is for Abstract: The Complete Art History. In the bargain was this brand new single, one of those question songs whose answer can be found in the music itself. They've fashioned a viable new brand with this modern-day art-punk anthem that will likely be their calling card for the rest of their existence.

Moment of Conversion: Punch of the production smacks you right in the face.

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009 HIS LORDSHIP | "Old Romantic"

Blurb: The British duo His Lordship (great band name) have delivered the fastest 27-minutes of the year with Bored Animal, a frantic, full-throttle, occasionally eccentric rock & roll record like they used to make back in the day. The product of current Pretenders lead guitar phenom, James Walbourne, and drummer Kris Sonne, there's an accelerant added to almost every song that sets a breathless pace that's nearly impossible to keep up with (until the final song, that is, which is also great). If you attended the latest Pretenders tour, you witnessed Walbourne routinely stealing the spotlight from Chrissie with his playing and performance style. Here, he kicks it up several notches and Sonne propels the whole thing forward from behind his kit like he's got a flight to catch. Pick a song, any song, but "Old Romantic" is my favorite, but perhaps "I Fly Planes into Hurricanes" sums up their manic approach best. I love, love, love, love this record. It makes me happy to exist.

Moment of Conversion: I love the night!

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008 RON SEXSMITH | "Cigarette and Cocktail"

Blurb: Ron Sexsmith has managed once again to charm my socks off with one of his sweet little ditties. His voice, at 61, still retains its boyish innocence, and here he remembers the odd sensation of being an ignored child at an adult party back in the late-60s/early-70s, when his parents and their guests would dress up and let loose with "a cigarette in one hand, a cocktail in the other," all the while not worried one bit about the bad example they were setting. "When it came to lungs and livers, well they just could not be bothered," sings Sexsmith. I'll let you discover the moral of the story on your own, but please do not let one of the year's hidden gems (and videos) escape you. I fell in love at first listen and maybe you'll do the same.

Moment of Conversion: Watch the video. It explains everything.

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007 PANDA BEAR | "50mg"

Blurb: If you haven't bought a ticket on the Panda Express to date, this is a good place to board. Sinister Grift was the record of the summer for me, despite being perplexingly released in late February. Who made that decision? It's also the best album Noah Lennox's Animal Collective sidecar has released, Person Pitch—gasp—included. It shimmers with the usual Brian Wilson-inspired harmonies, but effectively straddles the line between saturating the listening field and pulling back on the controls enough to allow the song to radiate in open space. It still has the feel of a beach record, but is too complex to merely settle into the background. So, what we're saying is you have to listen to it to best appreciate it. That doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Moment of Conversion: Wocka-wocka groove.

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006 MAVIS STAPLES | "Sad and Beautiful World"

Blurb: The song selection for Mavis's new record is impeccable, much like the tracks Rick Rubin presented to Johnny Cash during his late career resurgence; some old songs, some new songs, each fitting perfectly with her worldview. She's spent her whole life acknowledging the tough roads some have, but not without finding a light from within those realities. Which explains why her take on Mark Linkous's Sparklehorse gem, "Sad and Beautiful World" is so powerful. She's been there and she knows where she's going. You can hear it in every word she sings and it's as soothing as it is inspiring. Consider the song hers from now on.

Moment of Conversion: Mavis.

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005 GUIDED BY VOICES | (You Can't Go Back to) Oxford Talawanda

Blurb: The thick, delicious riches on GBV's latest are plentiful and I could've picked about ten tracks for this mixtape, but Robert Pollard clearly knows about my love for singing along with lyrics I don't quite understand (hence the title of this blog), making this the obvious choice for me. Plus it recalls favorably R.E.M.'s "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" which is an added bonus.

Moment of Conversion: Belting out the chorus along with Bob. I'm not going back either! (Although I've never been there.)

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004 HOTLINE TNT | "Julia's War"

Blurb: "Julia's War" is best described by lead-everything Will Anderson: "You’ve never heard a TNT chorus this straightforward — when we stress-tested it during the writing process, the “try not to sing along challenge” came back with a 100% fail rate." My reaction will not jeopardize their perfect record.

Moment of Conversion: The "Na Na Na's" at 1:08.

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003 PHILL MOST CHILL & DJAR ONE | "Back 2 Rhymes"

Blurb: There's really no keeping a smile off your face during Deal With It, the feel good record of 2025. I just fell in love with the record on listen one and every listen after that. He's quick and he's funny, but this is a real rap record, not a novelty. "Back 2 Rhymes" is a mission statement, recalling the concept that put rap on the map in the first place. The non-stop energy is infectious and it all starts with this track.

Moment of Conversion: Old-fashioned boasting is the best kind: I got the verbal ammunition for a microphone fight to put you in critical condition.

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002 THE BETHS | "No Joy"

Blurb: As I've said before, I am a big fan of bright and cheery songs about really sad things and "No Joy" is an extreme example of that concept. The verses of this song express the type of ennui normally associated with depression, a dire state of listlessness or hopelessness. Perfect manna for a pop song, of course! The irony is that the chorus which repeats the words "No joy" over and over brings me great joy. They aren't the first band to pull this off, but few have done it with such overwhelming aplomb as the Beths.

Moment of Conversion: It's obvious and unavoidable: the chorus. And slipping the word anhedonic (reduced ability to feel pleasure) into a pop song, the first occurrence ever to my knowledge, needs to be rewarded.

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001 THE BOOJUMS | "Wings of Fire"

Blurb: Kind of like "Born to Run" if Springsteen was the leader of a punk band back in 1975, the Boojums "Wings of Fire" races down the highway with a double-shot of adrenaline coursing through its bloodstream, hell bent on finding something wild, something real, or at least a six-pack of PBR at the 7-11. And in well under three-minutes they find it, or at least something that races next to it. There's no promise of anything, just the desire to seek it out. That's all you need sometimes. If you can translate that exhilarating feeling into a song, consider yourself lucky. The Boojums have done just that.

Moment of Conversion: Every single second.

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If you started here, here's a link to songs 53-104. Next up? Our Favorite Album Covers of 2025 (and 10 of the Worst). See you when I finish putting it together.

Cheers,

The Priest