I Don't Hear A Single Best 100 Albums Of 2025 : 61- 70

 

Today we reach Numbers 61-70 in our Best Albums Of 2025. It has been really pleasing to see followers visit the albums thus far. 2025 was a great year for the type of music we cover and it is very competitive for the remaining 60 albums in the countdown.

With it being our 10th year we thought that we could back to the old images that were posted as a bit of fun with the Audio Extravaganzas. A reminder of the old, much quieter, days for us and hopefully a bit of fun for newcomers. 

61 The Len Price 3 - Misty Medway Magick      IDHAS Review

The Len Price 3 · Emily's Shop

62 Jumbo Chords - Throw Away (Buy Another One)      IDHAS Review

63 Nick Frater - OH CONTRAIRE!      IDHAS Review

64 Lolas - Big Hits And Freak Disasters      IDHAS Review

65 Girl For Samson - Blend All The Seasons      IDHAS Review

66 Cherry Fez - SUPEREXCITED     IDHAS Review

67 He's Dead Jim - Head Like A Toyshop    IDHAS Review

68   Them Elephants - Quattro    IDHAS Review

69 The Elbow Patches - Achingly Familiar     IDHAS Review

70 Drugs In Sport - If Only We Could Use These Powers For Good     IDHAS Review

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Girl For Samson - Blend All The Seasons

 

I rarely get to converse with anyone these days. Here seems to be all consuming and there seems little time for the activity I used to have with all the listening, writing and selecting. So it has been nice exchanging emails with Johnny Marie.

One of the topics that came up was getting coverage and it wasn't the usual moans about not appreciated, music dying or Spotify taking all the air. It was about genres and how hard it is for a band who offer variety to get around the labels and you know how I adore variety

This is Johnny Marie and Patrick Meagher's fifth album as Girl For Samson and lest we forget they are also active as The Real Flower Pots and then there is Marie's solo career. But we concentrate here on Girl For Samson and Blend For All Seasons is a superb album.

It will suit both followers and the Like Minded Reviewers on the Right Hand Side of IDHAS. The variety is commendable and attempting to label it seems pointless and unnecessary, so how does it get listened to? Maybe we should all help with the word of mouth,

Girl For Samson are a Kansas City quartet who offer up a heady melodic mix of what might be sketchily called Pop Rock, but remember we are not labelling. The shared vocals of Marie and Meagher adds even great variation.

The former has a vocal suited to the likes of Brit Pop, Pop Rock or Indie Rock. Meagher's voice suits itself more to Modern Prog, Classic Rock as well as Shoegaze. All of these areas and more filter into the results here.

Faking Your Beauty for instance as a blend of harmonies that would fit easily amongst the West Coast brigade, yet (You Took) One Of Everything is a mixture of 70s Easy Listening and Prog. Yet the killer single, Cigarette, is pure Brit Pop and edges into Psych Pop.

The title track hints at Shoegaze and adds a mesmerising Guitar solo, but You Better Run is vocal harmony led gentle Prog. Soon just washes over you, feeling slightly 80s, yet Get Off That Stake is simply a cinematic soundscape.

You can probably sense from these words that this is a wonderful album to listen to. Beautifully arranged and produced, it is an enthralling listen that deserves a much wider audience. Blend For All Seasons is an album that you just don't want to end.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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