I Don't Hear A Single Best 100 Albums Of 2025 : 91-100

For the last 9 years, we have compiled annual Best Of Years because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended and that only new albums are included  and the album must have been reviewed by us.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really tricky in what has been an exceptional year. The countdown is posted daily in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

As a change this time, we decided that it would be nice to have individual images for each of the 10 posts. 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. The first is up today,

91 The Velvoids - Jersey Cotton      IDHAS Review

92 Guerilla Toss - You're Weird Now     IDHAS Review

 

93 rincs - Swimming Pool Disco      IDHAS Review

94 Hamlet - Light Under Repair      IDHAS Review

95 Weird Bloom - Stargate      IDHAS Review

96 The Friends - Daydreaming      IDHAS Review

97 Greer - Big Smile      IDHAS Review

98 doublevee - Periscope At Midnight     IDHAS Review

99 Sura Laynes - Sura Laynes      IDHAS Review

100 Magic Fig - Magic Fig     IDHAS Review

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Magic Fig - Magic Fig

 

Further to my last post about Genres, I'd like to tell you about a magnificent album from last year. Magic Fig are a five piece from San Francisco and this exceptional debut album has been largely labelled as Prog, some of it is such as is the base.

But this differs from your average Prog album for two reasons. Most of the band are from a Power Pop and Guitar Pop background and it shows. Secondly they are fronted by Inna Showalter and her vocals are a revelation. She has a voice that can lend itself to anything. You wouldn't be surprised to hear her singing Dream Pop.

Generally, female fronted Prog bands follow certain paths. They want to be Annie Haslam era Renaissance or rock their sound up and get a bit shouty. There's also a tendency to get multi layered vocal. The band allow Inna to be an Inna and the results are that many of these songs could be pitched in different genres.

For all this joy to come in a debut album is really unusual. The opener, Goodbye Suzie, is all 60s Psych Pop, but also hints at dreamy 80s Pop. Yet the arrangement and vocal on Obliteration is like a slowed up Saint Etienne. There is Prog bursting to get out, particularly via the bassline and halfway through it does to great effect.

PS1 is ace Jangle Pop mixed in with vintage Psych Pop whilst sounds spring from everywhere. Distant Dream edges into Canterbury Prog with some top notch mellotron Labyrinth is the standout for me all 60s Toytown, wonderfully so.

Departure rounds things off acoustically, allowing that voice of an angel to stand out even more and ends appropriately with the flute. This is an album that demonstrates how melodic Psych and Prog can be in a way not always noted by the label. There is great Pop here too. Absolutely splendid!

You can listen to and buy the album here, It is available on Vinyl and as a download. 

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