Last year I started a tradition of sharing my top 10 favorite albums of the year (you can catch up on my 2024 favs here—Part 1 and Part 2). I’ve always loved music and getting lost in the notes of a new track. I especially love the art of listening to an album from top to bottom. Artists put songs in a specific order for a specific reason, and I like honoring their creative intention and expression.

 I’m always searching Spotify for new songs, EPs, and albums (the Release Radar drop on Fridays is my fav!), and discovering a new piece of art I love is one of my favorite parts of life.

As we’re halfway through 2025 (how?!), I’m sharing the first batch of my new fav albums this year. Sooo much new music has been released so far. Narrowing down my favorites has been hard—and there’s even more coming in the back half of the year (hello, Jervis Campbell!). 

Below you’ll find the first 5 albums I’ve fallen in love with. They’re ranked in order of when I found them, not in order of favorites. Let me know what you think—I love chatting all things music!

001. When the War Is Over by Johnnyswim

As I mentioned at the end of 2024, the EP preceding this album gave me a strong feeling I’d love it. This surprised me, as I’m usually not a diehard Johnnyswim fan. But this is a beautiful collection of songs. I could get lost in them. They make me want to lay by the pool and float into their dreaminess. 

Fav Songs: “Dopamine,” “Psilocybin,” “Frank Gehry,” “Los Feliz”

002. Automatic by The Lumineers

“You’re All I Got” is a song from this album that came out before the full album dropped, and that’s also how I knew I would really like this one. I’ll be honest—it took me a couple times listening to it to really fall in love with a couple of the songs, but now I know them like the back of my hand. I really like the range of emotions and sounds these tracks evoke—it’s a yes from me on this one.

Fav Songs: “Same Old Song,” “Asshole,” “You’re All I Got,” “So Long”

003. Sable, fABLE by Bon Iver

Okay. This is a work of art. There are too many favorite songs to count… I love them all! This feels more like his original music, and that fires up all the nostalgia for me—I was a big Bon Iver fan when he was getting big back in the day. One of my favorite things in any album is when one song perfectly bleeds into the next, designed to end and then begin in the same notes. The “Short Story” / “Everything Is Peaceful Love” fade is my favorite part of this listening experience. And if I had to narrow down my favorites, they would be…

Fav Songs: “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS,” “Short Story,” “Everything Is Peaceful Love,” “Day One,” “If Only I Could Wait”

004. Aperture by The Head and the Heart 

Officially in the world May 9, this regenerated my album-discovery passion. I was a little bored with my music late this spring, and this collection revitalized my joy for listening to an album from top to bottom. I really can’t get enough of this one. There are some nods to the band’s OG sound, which I looove—their first few records will always be iconic to me.

Fav Songs: “Beg, Borrow, and Steal,” “Cop Car,” “Fire Escape,” “Finally Free,” “Aperture”

005. The Richest Man in the World by Ben Rector

This one hit my ears not too long ago, and man, I’m hooked. It’s beautiful, thoughtful, and sweet. Plus, a Mat Kearney feature?! You know I’m already sold. This is an album to have on repeat. And the meaning behind it… with the ones we love, we are rich. With God’s goodness, we are rich. You can find this on my queue all summer long—can’t get enough.

Fav Songs: “Richest Man In the World,” “I Got It Bad for You,” “More Than I Could Ask For,” “Praying for Me”

Do you like any of these albums? What are you listening to + loving right now? Comment below so I can add them to my playlists!

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P.S. My Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2024 Part 1 and Part 2. 

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