HONORARY 2025 PICK: No Hard Feeling by Balto
Released on December 20, 2024—too late for my 2024 list, but technically not a 2025 album—Balto’s surprise farewell record lives in an in-between space that mirrors the band’s own bittersweet moment. Songs like the epic “Big City” and the blistering “Black Snake, Mojave Blues” build from restraint to explosive crescendos, showcasing the energy and songcraft that defined this L.A. band. “Wrong End” offers a poignant meditation on letting go of dreams—a powerful statement from a group that deserved more. (More Balto coverage)
I don’t believe in songs no more
In the long dead horse of rock’n’roll
This is just a part of letting go
I don’t believe in songs no more
10. New Roses by Ben de la Cour
Ben de la Cour’s New Roses pushes his gothic Americana into darker, more experimental territory, with sparse, unsettling arrangements built on synthesizers, distorted guitars, and eerie ambient textures. The album spans surreal narratives, vivid character studies, and unflinching portraits of isolation and despair—all delivered with poetic clarity that confronts darkness rather than retreating from it. (More Ben de la Cour coverage)
9. The Parish Record by Andrew Duhon
Andrew Duhon’s The Parish Record is a bluesy, soulful collection steeped in New Orleans textures and unflinching emotional honesty. It navigates love, loss, friendship, and mortality with wry wisdom and heartbreaking clarity, from the funky political commentary of “Waco Kool-Aid” to the devastating portrait of memory loss in “Another House.” Duhon’s lived-in voice and subtle melodies create songs that feel genuinely human and deeply resonant. (More Andrew Duhon coverage)
8. Cover the Mirrors by Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller’s Cover the Mirrors is a devastatingly honest reckoning with grief following the tragic death of his son, Dorian. The album maps the jagged terrain of loss without offering resolution, moving between electric turbulence and stark acoustic vulnerability. It ultimately closes with “Oh Dorian,” a tender father-to-son tribute that speaks directly to him with unflinching love. (More Ben Kweller coverage)
7. inside man by kirby baby
Kirby Brown’s new project kirby baby shifts his focus from Americana to indie rock, braiding the story of a relationship’s collapse with deeper questions of belonging and purpose. The album works because he doesn’t try to resolve anything—instead offering the clarity that comes from honestly documenting doubt, panic, and the struggle to hold on or let go. (More kirby baby/Kirby Brown coverage)
6. Crowd Pleaser by Joelton Mayfield
Joelton Mayfield’s Crowd Pleaser pairs vivid character studies with guitars that know when to whisper and when to scream. His lyrics reveal rather than explain—from “Pretty Linda” salting her margarita rim despite the doctor’s low-sodium diet orders to the narrator in “Blame” who is grappling with a failing relationship and is desperately seeking “a highway exit, a way to absolve blame”—trusting listeners to sit with complexity without offering easy answers. (More Joelton Mayfield coverage)
5. Billionaire by Kathleen Edwards
On her latest album Billionaire, Kathleen Edwards delivers the sharp, unflinching storytelling that has always defined her best work—brutal tell-offs and tender reflections wrapped in memorable melodies. The title track distills the weight of grief and memory into one perfect line: “If this feeling were currency I would be a billionaire.” Once again, Edwards proves she knows exactly how to balance pointed truth with melodic charm. (More Kathleen Edwards coverage)
4. Permission by Alex Wong
Alex Wong’s Permission is a searching, clear-eyed album about identity and self-acceptance. Wrapped in orchestral swell, propulsive rhythms, and soaring choruses, Wong turns questions of heritage and belonging into songs that feel both personal and galvanizing. (More Alex Wong coverage)
3. Foxes in the Snow by Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow navigates heartbreak and hesitant new love with unflinching honesty, stripped down to voice and acoustic guitar. From the messy, unsparing portrait of a breakup’s fallout in “True Believer” to the hard-won wisdom of “Don’t Be Tough,” these songs reckon with endings and fragile beginnings alike, delivered with Isbell’s characteristic clarity and grace. (More Jason Isbell coverage)
2. Do It Myself by Olivia Ellen Lloyd
On Do It Myself, Olivia Ellen Lloyd delivers country songs that cut deep, moving between vulnerability and defiance with impressive precision. Sharp lyrics and expressive vocals chart heartbreak and independence, while acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars ground the arrangements in tradition without ever sounding stale. (More Olivia Ellen Lloyd coverage)
1. Clams Casino by Brian Dunne
Brian Dunne’s Clams Casino delivers meticulously crafted pop songs that turn everyday frustrations into universal anthems. Rather than wallowing, he leans into resilience with sharp observations that meet listeners wherever they are—stuck in traffic, stuck in their hometown, or just plain stuck—and remind them that wanting something better doesn’t mean being ungrateful. (More Brian Dunne coverage)
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.