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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The Friends - Daydreaming

I do like what The Friends come up with. The duo of Ezra Gale and Kevin Woodruff are from New Oregon in New York. Their base is sort of 80s Indie Pop and New Wave, but they stretch much further afield into the realms of Intelligent Indie.

You know how much we love Intelligent Indie and these two can mix it with the best. Whichever angle they come in at, the songs are incredibly catchy with hooks that just grab hold of you and the songs are beautifully arranged.

The variety on show here is incredible, no two songs sound the same. They are bold off to get instrumentally like INXS on Bond with me. Yet that song is bookmarked by the great angular Indie Rock of Glass and the pure laidback Pop of For Your Consideration which is wonderfully melodic.

They are also not afraid of 80s Synth Pop. The closer, Quitting Time has a keyboard run that just absolutely hooks in, The Pop is great too. Daydream is almost Dream Pop, instrumentally very Bates Motel with its bass led run.

But as you might expect, it is the inventive Indie that grabs me most. Crush Season is a wonderful example of late 60s Village Pop, almost Toytown, a little Small Faces. Paralysed gets all Field Music and The Futureheads. 

I'm especially enamoured with Lifeboat, a jaunty singalong pop song lit up by its hippy trippy riff. What a cracking album this is, extremely accessible, yet surprising with the changes of direction. The sort of album that lights up a year. Well done you two!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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