Favourite Songs of 2025
| music
SPIDERS slowly moved up my list with each listen, and before I knew it I was playing it every day. I think it’s the vocal performance of the year and I’m surprised that it hasn’t had the same attention as other songs on the album.
It’s my favourite of Lola Young’s songs (ahead of Messy from last year and Conceited from 2023).
The rest are pretty much Mat music and, with a couple of exceptions, if you know me you know what you’re getting.
Top 15
- Lola Young - SPIDERS
- Lucy Dacus - Ankles
- Perfume Genius - It’s a Mirror
- Zoe Graham - Evilin
- Sharon Van Etten - Trouble
- The Beths - Metal
- Hannah Frances, Daniel Rossen - The Space Between
- Vienna Vienna - Idle Hands
- Tamino, Mitski - Sanctuary
- Jeff Tweedy - One Tiny Flower
- Holy Holy - We Think
- Arcade Fire - Year of the Snake
- Florence + the Machine - Everybody Scream
- Radio Free Alice - Empty Words
- Man/Woman/Chainsaw - MadDog
Exceptions?
The Space Between sees Hannah Frances doing something on guitar that I don’t understand but I really love, a careful discordance that reminds me of Stephen Sondheim in the way it evokes a feeling, taking you towards a resolution but never quite getting there. It will be polarising, but I think it’s beautiful, and I played it on repeat for a few days.
One Tiny Flower is long, repetitive, and folksy (I think, I don’t know genres). Not a description that would usually draw me in, but it speaks to me. In times of stress this year I loved to put it on and chill the fuck out. Thanks, Jeff.
Happy new year, friends.